Overview & Background
Our fire department specializes in on-site water supply management across the Southwest Finland region. In urban environments, fire hydrants are a critical part of our operations. Quickly and reliably locating them is essential.
We’ve been using an older application for this task, but it has become outdated and hard to use—especially for new members. The interface includes many small buttons, making it difficult to operate in moving vehicles. Furthermore, the app’s design and usability no longer meet modern standards.
Issue addressed: The need for a modern, intuitive, and responsive mapping app that works on both Windows 10/11 and can be developed on macOS.
Development Process
The focus was on creating a clean, intuitive interface that requires no instruction manual. Key design and technical decisions included:
- Emphasis on clarity and usability in the UI.
- Ability to open the same location in two different map views (e.g., terrain and satellite).
- Local caching of map data to support offline or poor network conditions.
- Implementation of a local address search that suggests the top five addresses while typing, significantly speeding up input.
- Built-in tools for measuring distances and areas on the map with a single, simple tool.
Outcome
The final app offers a fast, easy-to-use interface that was well received by both new and existing users. Fire hydrants are clearly visible on the map and clustered efficiently to maintain smooth map interaction.
Key outcomes:
- Fast performance and improved usability.
- Strong positive feedback from users.
- Several ideas for future enhancements emerged through active use.
Next Steps / Future Improvements
- Synchronize data across multiple units.
- Add the ability to insert new hydrants through the interface.
- Allow editing of hydrant information.
Technologies & Tools
- Flutter