Top 6 Tools for Fire Pre-Planning for Small to Mid-Size Fire Departments in 2026

Fire departments today have a wide range of options for fire pre-planning software. Some tools are part of complex all-in-one emergency services platforms like First Due and ESO while others focus more narrowly on fire pre-plans, incident documentation, or creating detailed floor plans and evacuation diagrams.

Consider what kind of tool you're looking for and what you need it to do. Are you looking for a complete emergency services platform or do you need a flexible tool that complements your existing RMS and helps crews create accurate, easy-to-update pre-plans?

Key Considerations for Fire Pre-Plan Tools for Fire Departments

Do you need an all-in-one platform or a specialized tool?
A comprehensive emergency services suite may be the right answer for some, but you will need both the budget and time to make it happen. You might already have a comprehensive solution and need a specialized tool to supplement it with something that offers other features like letting you create plans from scratch.
Can the tool import existing plans, Google Maps, GIS data?
Make sure you can start any plan from existing PDFs, satellite imagery, Google Maps, or GIS layers to speed up pre-plan creation.
Can you make floor plans from scratch or only markup existing PDFs?
Some facility managers may not be able to provide you with building information or an existing plan, so you may need to draw your own and even help them create a compliant evacuation plan. Make sure your tool can handle being able to create a pre-plan or evacuation plan from scratch.
Does it include standard fire adn NFPA symbols?
Look for tools that include commonly used fire protection, hazard, utility, and NFPA-compliant symbols so crews can create consistent and recognizable diagrams.
Is it easy to use? How much training is required?
Will firefighters and inspectors actually use it regularly? Consider onboarding time, interface complexity, mobile access, and ongoing maintenance requirements.
Where are plans stored and shared?
Can you store plans in systems your department already uses like Microsoft SharePoint or Microsoft OneDrive instead of being locked into a proprietary cloud platform?
How easy is it to update plans?
Buildings change constantly. Can crews quickly revise layouts, hazards, shutoffs, access points, and equipment locations without extensive training?

The Top 6 Fire Pre-Planning Tools for Fire Departments Compared

	First Due	ESO	APX Data
Create floor plans from scratch
Import PDF
Import Google Maps/GIS
Import Photos
Shape Data
NFPA standard symbols
Export to RMS compatible format	Native RMS	Native RMS	Native RMS
3rd party document storage integrations
iPad support
Full RMS and scheduling
Business diagrams

SmartDraw

When no one can provide an existing floor plan, site plan, or evacuation plan, a lot of existing fire pre-plan tools become useless. This is where SmartDraw can save you, literally, and outshine the other options. Smartdraw lets anyone create a floor plan or site plan to be used for fire pre-planning without extensive training. Like other tools, SmartDraw lets you import PDFs, Google Maps, or even GIS layers if you have access through your department. But unlike other tools, you'll also be able to create scaled layouts from scratch and drag-and-drop included NFPA symbols to complete your pre-plan.

SmartDraw will work alongside any existing RMS platform you may already have like First Due or ESO or work without one if you don't have a platform yet. With SmartDraw, you can export to a number of RMS-compatible formats like PDF, PNG, SVG, or even Visio. Or, you can save your fire pre-plan to your preferred third party storage provider like SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box.

SmartDraw is not an RMS or a comprehensive NFIRS reporting platform, but it can provide the diagramming layer that your fire marshals and inspectors need. Pair it with any RMS, including First Due or ESO, or use it as a standalone solution that's easy to learn and won't break your budget. SmartDraw makes fire pre-plans easy to create, maintain, and update.

Pros:

Unmatched floor plan creating capability
Import PDFs to scale
Import Google Maps or GIS to scale
Label, annotate, and diagram over imported files and images
Add photos to any diagram
NFPA symbols
Broad general diagramming support: org charts, network diagrams, process flows, and more
Compatible with your preferred 3rd party storage provider and will elt you control your own data
Web-based app that will work on an iPad
Relatively low cost compared to full RMS

Cons:

Not an RMS
No Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration
No offline capability or native mobile app
No hydrant management and dire flow calculation
No inspection module or code-violation tracking

Best for: SmartDraw is ideal for small to mid-sized fire departments or facilities teams that need to create fire pre-plans, evacuation plans, fire incident reports, site plans, and floor plans. It works great as a companion to an RMS, but it is not a replacement.

Try SmartDraw.

First Due

First Due is a comprehensive emergency RMS platform for departments that are looking for an all-in-one ecosystem that offers not just fire pre-planning, but also support for inspections, scheduling, and dispatch. If you need to build a fire pre-plan in First Due you can upload and markup an existing PDF provided by facility managers or markup a map from Esri ArcGIS or Google Street View. First Due is not primarily a floor plan creation tool. Where First Due shines is being able to integrate with data sources like all major Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems that allow it to fetch and push data automatically and coordinate a live operational response using data.

The tradeoff to using First Due is complexity and cost. Because it is a broad enterprise platform, implementation can require significant setup and training. Smaller departments may find it is more software than they need, especially if their primary goal is simply creating and sharing fire pre-plans. Additionally, if you don't have access to an existing PDF to mark up and need to create fire pre-plans from scratch, you may need to supplement First Due with a dedicated floor plan creator like SmartDraw or FireScene.

Pros:

Comprehensive, all-in-one emergency service platform
Native RMS
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration
Immediately populates incident details, location, and dispatch information without manual data entry
Displays pre-plan, occupancy, and critical premise data directly from the CAD dispatch
Supports automatic reporting and compliance with NERIS
Can create fire pre-plans by marking up existing PDFs
Can annotate maps and GIS information with Esri ArcGIS and Street View integration
Can map structures using LiDAR technology
Dedicated mobile app for field use

Cons:

Expensive and need broad adoption to see ROI
Can't create fire pre-plans, floor plans, or evacuation plans from scratch
No broader business diagramming support
No support for 3rd party document storage

Best for: Departments looking to standardize everything in one platform who don't need to create floor plans from scratch.

Learn more about First Due.

ESO

ESO, like First Due, is a comprehensive RMS platform. Its biggest strengths are reporting, compliance, incident documentation, analytics, and integration across EMS and fire operations.

ESO approaches fire pre-planning more from the records and operational data side than from diagram creation. ESO helps fire departments build fire pre-plans around occupancy records, inspections, incident history, and attached documentation. In most cases, visual assets like floor plans or site diagrams are uploaded as PDFs, images, or external documents tied to the property record. You won't be able to create floor plans from scratch using ESO.

To get more complex visual assets, you will want to pair ESO with a dedicated floor plan creator like SmartDraw or FireScene.

Pros:

Strong RMS with analytics platform
NFIRS and NERIS compliance
Integrates inspections, incident reporting, and operational data
Supports informed decision-making and performance tracking
Automated state data submission for compliance
Personnel management, training tracking, and asset management

Cons:

Weak fire pre-planning capabilities
No ability to create floor plans from scratch
Poor mobile experience
No broader business diagramming support
No support for 3rd party document storage

Best for: Departments focused on analytics, compliance, and reporting.

Learn more about ESO.

FlowMSP by ImageTrend

ImageTrend's FlowMSP is focused on fast, NFPA-compliant fire pre-planning that works in the field. Its biggest strengths are ease of use and mobile data collection. Firefighters can build a pre-plan by collecting site information and photos using a phone or tablet, completing occupancy and hazard forms, mapping hydrants and access points, and attaching sketches or PDFs to the property record.

FlowMSP doesn't allow for the creation of scaled floor plans or site plans from scratch. The features are focused on annotations and photos.

Pros:

Strong mobile app features for field work
Great at importing photos and making annotations
Built-in forms for occupancy and hazard to aid data collection
Hydrant mapping
Fire flow calculations
Integrated with ImageTrend's RMS platform

Cons:

No ability to create floor plans from scratch
No broader business diagramming support
No support for 3rd party document storage

Best for: Departments already in the ImageTrend ecosystem.

Learn more about FlowMSP.

APX

APX Data is a full RMS that focuses on standardizing data collection for fire pre-plans and inspections with a mobile-first approach. APX relies on forms to guide users through the fire pre-planning process. You start by importing a site map for an address, mark it up with hazards and utility information using NFPA symbols, and capture and add relevant photos. You can attach all the data and photos collected into structured property records.

Compared to First Due and ESP, APX Data has fewer third-party integrations and a smaller user community. It focuses more on data instead of visuals and has no ability to create a floor plans or fire pre-plan from scratch.

Pros:

Form based data capture for easy mobile workflow
Integrated with SmartMap for hydrant locations, fire flow calculation, and existing building data
Strong mobile app
Lets you work offline and sync later to the Cloud
NFPA symbols
Photo import
Site plan import and markup

Cons:

No ability to create floor plans from scratch
No broader business diagramming support
No support for 3rd party document storage

Best for: Departments focusing on field-work and affordability without sophisticated diagram making capabilities.

Learn more about APX.

FireScene by Trancite

Trancite's FireScene is not an RMS, but a tool focused on creating floor plans and site plans from scratch specifically for fire pre-planning. FireScene has forms you can fill out with occupancy information and other building data as well as tools to markup satellite maps or create floor plans from scratch. It has a large collection of industry-standard NFPA symbols, lets you start with a satellite map or GIS data, and add photos and images to annotate.

Like SmartDraw, it's not meant to replace your existing RMS, but work alongside it. You can export the fire pre-plan created in FireScene as a PDF and add it to your preferred RMS.

FireScene is based on a platform also used for creating accident reconstruction diagrams for police departments and a lot of the UI and symbols are devoted to items irrelevant for fire pre-planning. It's also a Windows only application that won't work in the field unless integrated bya developer into another system via their SDK.

Pros:

Ability to create floor plans from scratch
Comprehensive NFPA symbols
Ability to start with a satellite map using an address input
Label, annotate, and diagram over imported images
Add photos to any diagram

Cons:

Only available on Windows, not suitable for field work
Clunky and dated UI with confusing accident reconstruction tools
Can't import PDFs
Not an RMS
No integration with Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
No broader business diagramming support
No support for 3rd party document storage

Best for: Departments that need basic fire pre-planning without mobile capabilities or expanded diagram support.

Learn more about FireScene.

See Why Public Safety and Construction Teams Trust SmartDraw

"Before SmartDraw, our reports were created in a mix of Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and paper, leading to inconsistent formats and extra work. SmartDraw gave us a single, standardized platform for accident and incident documentation, making our reports clearer, more consistent, and easier to manage."

Michael Johnson
Battalion Chief, Loudoun Fire and Rescue

"Our design and construction company oversees custom home builds and remodels from initial design to completion. SmartDraw provided an affordable, user-friendly, and efficient tool for making rapid adjustments to floor plans without relying on architects or designers for every minor change. The fast setup and intuitive tools really helped us streamline our workflow."

Jake Goodew
Project Manager, Arete Construction Arete Construction logo

"The Crime Scene Unit sought to upgrade its diagramming software to enhance the quality of crime scene sketches used as discoverable documents in criminal investigations. After evaluating available options, we determined that SmartDraw best met our needs due to its ability to produce detailed, forensically accurate diagrams that integrate seamlessly with existing scene documentation tools, including photographs and 3D imaging."

Massi A. Martin, DPA
Commanding Officer, Office of Forensic Science, Crime Scene Unit, Philadelphia Police Department

"For pre-incident plans, we're able to create clear, easy-to-follow diagrams with directions and annotations that our firefighters can quickly understand on scene. For investigations, the software lets us produce accurate, professional drawings that support incident reconstruction. Overall, we've been very pleased with SmartDraw and plan to continue using it as part of our daily operations."

Read the full case study.

Jonathan Shim
Captain, Office of the Fire Marshal, Howard County Department of Fire Rescue Services

"SMCFD needed a user-friendly way to create pre-fire plans. SmartDraw allows us to import a PDF and mark it up for utility shutoffs and access points quickly and easily."

Matthew Adelman
Battalion Chief Preparedness, South Montgomery County Fire Department

"As our design services grew, pen and paper simply couldn't keep up. SmartDraw gave us the modern tools we needed for creating space plans and floor plans. It's proven to be a great tool for our sellers to quickly provide customers with feedback on dimensions and fit."

Aaron Schulz
Director of Inside Sales Channels & Sales Operations, National Business Furniture

"SmartDraw has all the tools we need to create site and venue maps for our events. We can import a satellite view of an area and overlay our event layout as a scaled drawing. Not only is SmartDraw intuitive, but their support is excellent."

Emily Rivera
Director, Vendor of Production Services, National MS Society