Getting started

Welcome to CommunityWorks! CommunityWorks facilitates a way for you to communicate with your local fire department. Using CommunityWorks, you can request new inspection and permits, send messages to your fire department, and much more.

In your browser, open the link attached to the email you received from the fire department. The link will be in the following template: <XXXX.epr.community>. If you did not receive such a link, or if the link does not work, contact your fire department.

CommunityWorks will open on the Dashboard page.

Setting up an account

To access your CommunityWorks account, you need to set up a new account. To set up an account, do the following:

1. In your browser, open CommunityWorks.
2. In the sign-in window, click Sign Up in the bottom corner.
3. Complete the empty fields, and then click Get Started.
    
4. In the next window, enter the Phone Validation Code you received to your mobile phone.

Website overview

The CommunityWorks website includes the following sections:

Section	Summary
Dashboard	General information and updates
My Information	Property and occupant information
Map View	Map view of the property and all location-based items, as entered in My Information.
Inspections	Inspection requests and schedule, including ongoing inspections
Messages	Messages to and from the fire department
Billing	Your current bills and payment methods
Permits	Manage your permits

Dashboard 

The dashboard is your welcome page. This page includes educational content, emergency numbers, weather forecast, information about the fire department, and more.

My information 

Personal information is displayed in My information and Map View.

Setting up personal information

When first logging in, you’ll need to add your property details and other essential information which will assist your fire department in the event of an emergency.

The following procedure describes how to add your details:

1. In CommunityWorks, click My information.
2. Add your primary address. Complete the following fields:

• County
• City
• Address
• Zipcode

3. When done, click Finish. You will be redirected to the to the Property Profile page.
4. In the address section, click on the icon. Complete the section according to the Property details table below. When finished, click Validate. Fix issues, and then click Save.
5. Using the Quick access bar at the top of the section, select Occupants, and then complete the fields. Repeat this step for all relevant sections.

Note: You can add sections from the Profile profile page or by clicking on the section’s icon in the Quick Access drop-down menu.

Property profile details

This table consolidates all of the Property profile sections. The icons for each section correspond with the icons in map view. After completing all of the relevant sections, go to Map View to position all the icons in their appropriate locations.

Section key	Description	Details
	Your property address and details	Type of property Address Unit Best Access County City Zip code Number of residents Number of Bedrooms Number of Floors Floor of asset (for multi-story apartment buildings)
	Occupants' details and medical information	Basic details First and last name Birth date Mobile phone number email address Gender Languages Hair and eye color Height and weight Medical info Health conditions Medication taken Medication allergies Allergies Type of disability Special equipment Blood type Preferred Provider/Facility: this includes facility type and name, and the doctor’s details.
	Emergency contact details	Contact’s name Contact phone number Contact phone type Relation to you Remarks: other essential information that could assist us in case of emergency.
	Details of occupants' pets to assist the veterinarian in case of emergency	Species Name Breed Weight Microchip serial number Vet clinic Vet phone number
	Basic information on the occupants' vehicles to assist us in identification.	License number Type Manufacturer Model Year State on license Color Usually used by: the occupant who usually uses the vehicle.
	Solar panel details and location	Type Description Location: location in words Show on map: location on the property map Quantity Size
Hazard materials	If you have one of the following hazardous materials in your property, add them here: Argon Carbon Dioxide Chlorine Fireworks Fuel Gasoline Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Propylene Sulfuric Acid Other	Location Size Show on map
	If you have one of the following hazards in your property, add them here: Ammunition Battery Banks Black Powder Chemicals Electric Charging Station Fertilizer Fuel/Oil/Gasoline Home Generator Propane Tanks Other	Location Size Show on map
	Backup power supply details and location	Backup power type Make Year Capacity Location Shut off location Remark: other essential information on the backup power supply that could assist us in case of emergency. Show on map

Map View 

Map View displays all of your location-based items you added to My Information on the map. All of your items are displayed as well beneath the map. Any attempt to edit an item from Map View will redirect to the appropriate section in My information.

Note: The Quick Access bar appears in Map View as well. If you click on the icon you want to add, you will be redirected to My Information to complete the fields.

Drawing property boundaries

Drawing your property boundaries will help the fire department understand the size of your property to improve efficiency and response speed.

The following procedure describes how to set boundaries for a property.

1. In Map View, click Address.
    

2. In the Address dialog box, click Mark Boundaries.

3. Click the point of the property to begin. Mark the property using the white line. Finish by clicking the initial point.

The Mark Boundaries button will change to Boundaries Set.

4. Click the Address icon to exit the dialog box. The marked area will appear in white.
    

Inspections 

In Inspections, you can request, view, and resolve property inspections.

Requesting an inspection

This procedure describes how to request a new inspection.

1. In Inspections, click New.

2. Complete the form according to the following fields:

• Select inspection type: Select the type of inspection you are requesting from the list. After selecting an inspection type, a description of the inspection type, including the price, will appear on the right.
• Please write your remark: Provide additional details to help us better understand your inspection request (Optional).
• Upload PDF file or Picture: Attach any relevant documents or pictures related to the inspection request.
• Address: Select the property address from the list.
• I would like to get notified at: Select your email from the list. Only email addresses connected the CommunityWorks account will appear in the list.
• Different Contact Information: If you prefer we send updates to a different email address or phone number, check the box. Add the email address or phone number.

3. When finished, click Submit. A confirmation message will appear on the screen.
    

The inspection request will appear on the Inspections page as Pending Station Review. Once approved, you will be notified by email.

Messages 

In Messages, you can send and receive messages from the fire department. Messages can be used for questions on billing, inspections, permits, and more.

Messages from the fire department appear in Incoming, while messages you send to the fire department appear in Outgoing.

Important: Messages on CommunityWorks are not to be used in case of emergency. In case of emergency, call 911.

To view a message, click on the message. To reply, click Reply , and then type in your message. To send a new message to your fire department, follow the procedure below.

Sending messages

The following procedure describes how to send messages to your fire department using CommunityWorks:

1. In Messages, click New.
2. Complete the subject and sub-subject fields:

• Subject: Select a subject from the list. This is a required field.
• Sub-subject: Select a sub-subject. This field is not required, but will help the fire department in responding to your message.

3. In the Remarks field, enter your message. If needed, you can add attachments using the attachments link below.
4. Add your contact information as follows:

• Address: Select your property address from the list.
• I would like to be notified at: Select your email from the list.
   

5. When done, click Submit. Your message will appear under Outgoing.

Billing 

In Billing, you can request and pay bills to the fire department.

To request a new bill, do the following:

1. In Billing, click New.
2. In the dialog box, select the type of bill you need to pay in the Billing Type field. A description of the bill will appear in the adjacent field. Add comments in the Remarks field below.
3. Upload relevant PDF files and pictures related to the bill.
4. Add your contact information as follows:

1. Address: Select your property address from the list.
2. I would like to be notified at: Select your email from the list.
   Note: If you want to add an email address different than the address you used when signing up to CommunityWorks, select Different Contact Information. Add your email address.

5. When done, click Submit.
   The bill will appear in the Billing list.

To pay the bill, click Pay. The payment page will open in a new window. Follow the instructions on the page. After completing payment, the bill stats will change from Unpaid to Paid.

Permits 

One of the essential aspects of CommunityWorks is permit management. Instead of long paperwork and endless phone calls, you can now request, activate, and pay for permits online.

The Permits page includes the following information on each permit:

• Location
• Permit type
• Permit number
• Submission date
• Expiration date
• Status
• Additional actions, as described below.
   

Requesting a permit

The following procedure describes how to request a new permit:

Note: Each permit is different. some permits include multiple stages. Ensure you completed all of the stages before submitting the request​.

1. In Permits, at the bottom of the page, click Request a Permit.
2. Complete the fields according to the instructions in the dialog box. At the end of each stage, click Next.
    
3. When finished, click Submit.
   You will be notified by email upon approval.

Additional actions 

• Activation: Many requests require Activation. Activation is required for non-continuous permits, such as burn permits. To Activate a permit, click Activate to the right of the permit. The permit will be activated automatically for 24 hours.

• Pay: some permits require a payment before approval. To pay for a permit, click Pay to the right of the permit.

The payment page will open in a new window. Follow the instructions on the page. After completing payment, the permit status will change from Approved, Unpaid to Approved, Paid.