🚒 Fire Department Management System

A comprehensive web-based time tracking and management system designed specifically for volunteer fire departments. Built with Flask and SQLite, this system helps fire departments track volunteer hours, manage equipment inventory, schedule vehicle inspections, and monitor station operations.

Live Demo: https://byrdmanlk.pythonanywhere.com (Login: demo / demo2024)

✨ Features

Time Tracking & Activity Management

⏱️ Kiosk Mode Clock In/Out: iPad-friendly touch interface for firefighters to check in/out
📋 Activity Tracking: Track firefighting calls, training, work nights, meetings, and custom activities
👥 Real-Time Dashboard: Live display showing active firefighters and recent activity
📊 Comprehensive Reports: Hours by firefighter, activity breakdown, date ranges, and exportable Excel reports
⚠️ Smart Alerts: Automatic alerts for overdue vehicle inspections and low inventory levels

Equipment & Inventory Management

📦 Inventory System: Track station and vehicle inventory with quantities, costs, and categories
🔍 Vehicle Inspections: Schedule and track weekly vehicle inspections with detailed checklists
🛢️ Fluid Specifications: Document required fluids (oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.) for each vehicle
🔧 Maintenance Tracking: Monitor vehicle maintenance needs with failed inspection alerts
📱 QR Code Access: Generate QR codes for mobile access to inspections and inventory
💰 Value Reporting: Track total inventory value by location
⚠️ Failed Inspection Alerts: Automatic alerts on dashboard, display, and maintenance pages for vehicles needing attention

Administration & Reporting

🔐 Admin Panel: Comprehensive management interface for all system features
👥 Multi-User System: Create multiple admin accounts with individual logins and secure password management
📈 Dashboard Analytics: Visual charts and statistics for department operations
📤 Excel Export: Export any report to formatted Excel spreadsheets
🔔 Alert Dashboard: Centralized view of all system alerts and warnings
📺 Digital Signage: Display mode perfect for TV displays in the station

Modern Features

📱 Mobile Responsive: Works great on phones, tablets, and desktop
🎨 Modern UI: Clean, intuitive interface with smooth animations
⚡ Real-Time Updates: Auto-refreshing displays keep information current
🔄 Automatic Backups: Hourly backups to Dropbox for data safety

📸 Screenshots

Kiosk Mode

Touch-friendly iPad interface for firefighters to check in and out

Admin Panel

Comprehensive management interface with all system features at your fingertips

Display Dashboard

Real-time display with active firefighters, alerts, and leaderboards - perfect for station TVs. Display on any Fire TV or smart TV using SignPresenter.com!

ISO Hose Testing

Annual hose testing interface with compliance tracking and repair management

Vehicle Inspections

Mobile-friendly inspection checklists with inline fluid specifications

Inventory Management

Track equipment across stations and vehicles with cost tracking

Reports & Analytics

Comprehensive reporting with Excel export capabilities

🛠️ Technology Stack

Backend: Flask 2.0+ (Python)
Database: SQLite with optimized queries
Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (Vanilla)
Charts: Chart.js for dashboard analytics
QR Codes: qrcodejs for mobile access
Excel Export: openpyxl for formatted reports
Backup: Dropbox API for automatic backups
Timezone: America/Chicago (Central Time)

Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.7+
pip
Virtual environment (recommended)

Setup

Clone the repository:

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd Fire-Department-Management-System

Create a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

Install dependencies:

cd flask_app
pip install -r requirements.txt

Set up environment variables:

cp ../.env.example ../.env
# Edit .env with your actual credentials

Create initial data files:

cp ../user_data.json.example user_data.json
cp ../categories.json.example categories.json
cp ../vehicles.json.example vehicles.json
cp ../vehicle_inspections.json.example vehicle_inspections.json

Run the application:

python app.py

The app will be available at http://localhost:5000

Configuration

Environment Variables

See .env.example for required environment variables:

FLASK_SECRET_KEY: Secret key for Flask sessions
ADMIN_USERNAME: Admin login username
ADMIN_PASSWORD: Admin login password
DROPBOX_APP_KEY: Dropbox API app key (for backups)
DROPBOX_APP_SECRET: Dropbox API secret
DROPBOX_REFRESH_TOKEN: Dropbox refresh token

Generate Secret Key

python -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))"

Usage

For Firefighters

Visit the home page
Enter your firefighter number
Select activity type
Click "Clock In" when starting
Click "Clock Out" when finished

For Admins

Visit /admin
Login with admin credentials
Access admin panel to:
- View all firefighter hours
- Add/edit/delete firefighters
- Manually add hours
- Export data to CSV
- Manage activity categories

Display Board

Visit /display for a real-time dashboard showing:

Currently active firefighters
Active alerts and warnings
Vehicles needing inspection
Recent activity feed
Hours leaderboard

📺 Display on TV with SignPresenter

Want to show the live dashboard on a TV in your fire station? Use SignPresenter to display real-time updates on any Fire TV, Android device, or smart TV!

Benefits:

🚒 Real-time updates: Auto-refreshes every 30 seconds
📱 Easy setup: Works on Fire Stick, Android TV, or any Android device
⚡ Always on: Perfect for station wall-mounted displays
💰 Affordable: Only $10/month per device

Setup Instructions:

Visit SignPresenter.com and sign up
Install SignPresenter on your Fire TV/Android device
Follow the setup guide to add a website
Enter your display URL: https://your-site.pythonanywhere.com/display
Your live dashboard will now show on the TV!

This service helps keep our system running and supports continued development. Thank you!

Project Structure

Fire-Department-Management-System/
├── flask_app/
│   ├── app.py                 # Main application
│   ├── backup_manager.py      # Dropbox backup handler
│   ├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
│   ├── templates/             # HTML templates
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── admin.html
│   │   ├── admin_login.html
│   │   ├── display.html
│   │   └── inspect.html
│   └── static/
│       └── style.css
├── .env                       # Environment variables (not in git)
├── .env.example              # Example environment variables
├── .gitignore                # Git ignore rules
└── README.md                 # This file

🚀 Deployment

Recommended: PythonAnywhere (Free Hosting!)

We highly recommend PythonAnywhere for hosting this application. It works great for fire departments and offers:

✅ Free tier available - Perfect for small/medium departments
✅ Always-on hosting - No cold starts or sleep mode
✅ Easy deployment - Simple web-based interface
✅ SQLite support - Built-in database support
✅ Automatic HTTPS - Secure by default
✅ No server maintenance - They handle everything

Our live demo runs on PythonAnywhere's free tier!

Step-by-Step PythonAnywhere Setup

1. Create Account

Go to PythonAnywhere.com
Sign up for a free account
Verify your email

2. Upload Code

Open a Bash console from the dashboard and run:

git clone https://github.com/mbyrdLCS/Fire-Department-Management-System.git
cd Fire-Department-Management-System

3. Set Up Virtual Environment

mkvirtualenv fdms-env --python=python3.10
pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure Environment Variables

Create your .env file:

nano .env

Add these variables (replace with your values):

FLASK_SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here-generate-a-random-string
FLASK_ENV=production
FLASK_DEBUG=False

ADMIN_USERNAME=your-admin-username
ADMIN_PASSWORD=your-secure-password-here

# Optional: Dropbox backup (see DROPBOX_SETUP.md)
DROPBOX_APP_KEY=your-dropbox-app-key
DROPBOX_APP_SECRET=your-dropbox-app-secret
DROPBOX_REFRESH_TOKEN=your-dropbox-refresh-token

Save with Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X

Generate a secure secret key:

python3 -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))"

5. Initialize Database

cd ~/Fire-Department-Management-System/flask_app
python3 db_init.py

This single command creates ALL database tables including:

Time tracking & activity logs
Multi-user authentication
Vehicle inspections & maintenance
Inventory management
ISO hose testing & compliance
Stations & equipment tracking

Then create your first admin user:

cd ~/Fire-Department-Management-System
python3 add_users_table.py

That's it! No need to run multiple migration scripts.

6. Configure Web App

Go to the Web tab in PythonAnywhere dashboard:

Click "Add a new web app"
Choose "Manual configuration"
Select Python 3.10

7. Configure WSGI File

Click on the WSGI configuration file link and replace the contents with:

import sys
import os

# Add your project directory to the sys.path
project_home = '/home/YOUR_USERNAME/Fire-Department-Management-System'
if project_home not in sys.path:
    sys.path.insert(0, project_home)

# Set environment variables path
os.environ['DOTENV_PATH'] = '/home/YOUR_USERNAME/Fire-Department-Management-System/.env'

# Import Flask app
from flask_app.app import app as application

Important: Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your PythonAnywhere username!

8. Set Virtual Environment

In the Web tab, under "Virtualenv":

Enter: /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.virtualenvs/fdms-env
Click the checkmark

9. Set Static Files (Optional but recommended)

In the Web tab, under "Static files":

URL: /static/
Directory: /home/YOUR_USERNAME/Fire-Department-Management-System/flask_app/static/

10. Reload and Test

Click the green "Reload" button
Visit your site: https://YOUR_USERNAME.pythonanywhere.com
You should see the kiosk clock-in page!
Test admin login at: https://YOUR_USERNAME.pythonanywhere.com/admin

Updating Your Deployment

When you want to update with new features:

cd ~/Fire-Department-Management-System
git pull
source ~/.virtualenvs/fdms-env/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Click "Reload" button in Web tab

Other Hosting Options

While we recommend PythonAnywhere, you can also deploy to:

Heroku - Free tier available with some limitations
Railway - Modern platform with generous free tier
DigitalOcean - More control, requires server management ($5/month)
AWS/Azure/GCP - Enterprise options
Your own server - Linux server with Python 3.7+

The application will run anywhere Python Flask can run!

Security Notes

Never commit .env file to Git
Never commit actual data files (user_data.json, etc.)
Change default admin credentials immediately
Use strong passwords
Keep Dropbox credentials secure

Backup

The system automatically backs up to Dropbox every hour. Backups include:

User data
Categories
Vehicle information

To manually trigger a backup, visit /test_backup while logged in as admin.

Development

Local Development

Use a separate .env file for development
Test with example data files
Never work directly on production server

Adding Features

Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
Make changes
Test thoroughly
Commit and push
Deploy to development server first

Troubleshooting

"No such table" errors

The database wasn't initialized properly. Run:

cd ~/Fire-Department-Management-System/flask_app
python3 db_init.py

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'db_helpers'"

Your WSGI file paths are wrong. Make sure your WSGI file includes:

flask_app_dir = '/home/YOUR_USERNAME/Fire-Department-Management-System/flask_app'
if flask_app_dir not in sys.path:
    sys.path.insert(0, flask_app_dir)

Site shows "Internal Server Error"

Check the error log (link in Web tab). Common issues:

Database not initialized (run db_init.py)
Wrong virtualenv path
Missing .env file

Auto-checkout not working

Check logs in firefighter.log
Verify background threads are running

Dropbox backup failing

Verify credentials in .env
Dropbox backups are optional - leave credentials blank if not using

Data corruption

System automatically tries to recover from backups
Check local backup files with _backup_ in filename

📄 License

This project is licensed under a Non-Commercial License with Attribution Requirement.

Key Points:

✅ Free to use for fire departments and non-profits
✅ Can modify and adapt for your needs
✅ Must keep SignPresenter.com references
❌ Cannot sell or use commercially
❌ Cannot remove attribution

See LICENSE file for full details.

For commercial licensing inquiries, contact: mike@signpresenter.com

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development Guidelines

Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
Test your changes thoroughly
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
Open a Pull Request

💡 Support & Questions

Issues: GitHub Issues
Email: mike@signpresenter.com

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built for volunteer fire departments who serve their communities
Powered by SignPresenter for digital signage displays
Thanks to all contributors and fire departments using this system

📈 Recent Updates

November 2024

✅ Multi-User Authentication: Add multiple admin users with individual logins for better audit trails
✅ User Management System: Admin interface to create, manage, and deactivate user accounts
✅ Password Security: Bcrypt password hashing with forced password change on first login
✅ Request-Based Backups: Fixed automatic Dropbox backups to work reliably on PythonAnywhere
✅ ISO Hose Testing: Complete hose testing system with compliance tracking and year closeout
✅ Detailed Inspection Reports: Export comprehensive reports showing every individual checklist item inspected with pass/fail status
✅ Vehicle Fluid Specifications: Track required oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid for each vehicle
✅ Inline Fluid Display: During inspections, fluid requirements automatically appear next to relevant checklist items
✅ Failed Inspection System: Comprehensive alerts across dashboard, display board, and maintenance pages
✅ Auto-Generated Vehicle Codes: Smart vehicle code generation from vehicle name and type
✅ Station-Based Inspection Filtering: Filter inspections by station with "All Stations" option
✅ Enhanced Maintenance Alerts: Failed inspections now prominently highlighted at top of maintenance menu

📈 Roadmap

Mobile app for iOS/Android
Advanced scheduling system
Training record management
Grant reporting features
Multi-department support
API for third-party integrations
Work order system for maintenance tracking

Made with ❤️ for volunteer firefighters

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 212 Commits
docs/screenshots		docs/screenshots
flask_app		flask_app
migration_data		migration_data
mysite		mysite
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
BACKUP_STRATEGY.md		BACKUP_STRATEGY.md
DATABASE_SCHEMA.md		DATABASE_SCHEMA.md
DEPLOYMENT.md		DEPLOYMENT.md
DEPLOYMENT_CHECKLIST.md		DEPLOYMENT_CHECKLIST.md
DEPLOY_DISPLAY_UPDATES.md		DEPLOY_DISPLAY_UPDATES.md
DROPBOX_SETUP.md		DROPBOX_SETUP.md
DROPBOX_SETUP_SIMPLE.md		DROPBOX_SETUP_SIMPLE.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
MOBILE_UI_REQUIREMENTS.md		MOBILE_UI_REQUIREMENTS.md
PYTHONANYWHERE_BACKUP_SETUP.md		PYTHONANYWHERE_BACKUP_SETUP.md
PYTHONANYWHERE_MIGRATION_STEPS.md		PYTHONANYWHERE_MIGRATION_STEPS.md
QUICK_START.md		QUICK_START.md
README.md		README.md
README.txt		README.txt
SCHEDULED_TASK_COMMAND.txt		SCHEDULED_TASK_COMMAND.txt
SECURITY_NOTICE.md		SECURITY_NOTICE.md
SETUP_PYTHONANYWHERE_CONFIG.md		SETUP_PYTHONANYWHERE_CONFIG.md
USER_MANAGEMENT_PROGRESS.md		USER_MANAGEMENT_PROGRESS.md
WORKFLOW.md		WORKFLOW.md
add_display_settings.py		add_display_settings.py
add_hose_tables.py		add_hose_tables.py
add_hose_testing.py		add_hose_testing.py
add_users_table.py		add_users_table.py
add_vehicle_fluids.py		add_vehicle_fluids.py
backfill_hose_tests.py		backfill_hose_tests.py
backup_database.py		backup_database.py
backup_to_dropbox.py		backup_to_dropbox.py
categories.json.example		categories.json.example
check_backup_status.py		check_backup_status.py
compare_databases.py		compare_databases.py
delete_unassigned_hoses.py		delete_unassigned_hoses.py
dropbox_config.py.example		dropbox_config.py.example
fix_hose_names.py		fix_hose_names.py
fix_hours_discrepancy.py		fix_hours_discrepancy.py
fix_inspection_tables.py		fix_inspection_tables.py
hoses_import.csv		hoses_import.csv
import_2025_hose_tests.py		import_2025_hose_tests.py
import_checklist_items.py		import_checklist_items.py
import_hoses.py		import_hoses.py
migrate_for_pythonanywhere.py		migrate_for_pythonanywhere.py
migrate_old_app_data.py		migrate_old_app_data.py
migration_package.tar.gz		migration_package.tar.gz
recreate_vehicles.py		recreate_vehicles.py
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
run_dropbox_backup.py		run_dropbox_backup.py
run_local_backup.py		run_local_backup.py
user_data.json.example		user_data.json.example
vehicle_inspections.json.example		vehicle_inspections.json.example
vehicles.json.example		vehicles.json.example
wsgi.py		wsgi.py

License

mbyrdLCS/Fire-Department-Management-System

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