OSX4 and Indoor Mapping with Mappedin

 OnScene Xplorer already delivers great functionality for fire departments: offline, device‑local, pre‑incident mapping that responders can trust even during a network outage. But when paired with Mappedin’s indoor mapping tools, which are free for the fire service, it’s an awesome combo.

How Mappedin’s floor‑plan tools strengthen pre‑incident planning

Mappedin’s iOS scanning app can generate precise digital floor plans using LiDAR on an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro. It captures room geometry, furniture, objects, and accurate measurements without needing existing blueprints. This is especially valuable for older buildings or facilities where plans are missing or outdated. Once scanned, the floor plan can be uploaded to a Mappedin workspace for editing, annotation, and publishing.

For fire departments, this solves several long‑standing challenges:

  • No more chasing outdated or missing plans. Crews can scan a building during inspections or pre‑plan visits and produce a current, high‑accuracy layout.
  • Interior details matter. Furniture, partitions, and room configurations are captured automatically, giving responders a realistic sense of interior obstacles.
  • Fast turnaround. A single walkthrough produces a usable plan that can be refined later on desktop.

How these floor plans fit naturally into OnScene Xplorer

OnScene Xplorer already supports adding pre‑incident facility plans, photos, and floor plans directly into its mapping environment. It stores mapping data locally on each device, meaning responders can access pre‑plans even when cell service is down—an essential capability during storms, rural responses, or major outages.

Mappedin’s output aligns perfectly with this workflow:

  • Mappedin produces the floor plan
  • The department exports the plan to PDF
  • OnScene Xplorer attaches it to the facility’s pre‑incident record
  • Responders see it instantly on their mobile devices, even when offline

Why this combination is so powerful for fire departments

1. Reliable access during outages

OnScene Xplorer’s local‑device mapping means crews can view floor plans even when cellular networks fail—something Iron Compass emphasizes as a core advantage.

2. Faster, more accurate pre‑plans

Mappedin eliminates the dependency on architects, facility managers, or old PDFs. Firefighters can create their own accurate interior maps during routine visits.

3. Better situational awareness

Interior layouts paired with OnScene Xplorer’s hydrant data, routing, and map markers give incident commanders a more complete picture before crews make entry.

4. Creating a Floor Plan Library that is maintainable

Departments can gradually scan high‑risk occupancies—schools, nursing homes, industrial sites—and build a modern pre‑plan library without expensive CAD work.

The pairing of Mappedin’s interior‑mapping capabilities with OnScene Xplorer’s offline, responder‑focused platform gives fire departments a practical path to modern, accurate, and always‑available pre‑incident plans. It turns a historically difficult task—maintaining current floor plans—into something crews can generate themselves during everyday operations.

See Mappedin’s Maps for Good to learn more about indoor mapping for emergency responders.

Verizon Outage: Lessons for Fire Departments on Connectivity

The mid‑January 2026 Verizon outage was a wake‑up call for anyone who relies on mobile networks—which includes nearly every fire department in the country. Millions of users suddenly saw “SOS” on their phones, with no ability to call, text, or use data. In major cities like Washington, D.C. and New York, Verizon even pushed alerts advising people to use landlines or another carrier to reach 911.

Verizon later confirmed the cause: a software issue, not a cyberattack. But for first responders, the cause matters far less than the consequence. When a carrier goes down, even briefly, the operational impact can be immediate and severe.

This outage highlighted a truth fire service leaders already know:
If your mission‑critical tools depend on live cellular connectivity, you don’t actually have mission‑critical tools.


Why Network Outages Hit Fire Departments Hard

Fire departments increasingly rely on connected systems:

  • CAD-to-MDT dispatching
  • AVL and unit tracking
  • Pre‑incident plans stored in the cloud
  • Online map tiles and routing
  • Hydrant databases
  • Building floor plans
  • Messaging and incident coordination apps

When the network drops, these systems can stall or fail entirely. Even a short disruption can create:

1. Slower response times

If routing depends on online maps, crews may lose turn‑by‑turn navigation or updated road closures.

2. Loss of situational awareness

Cloud‑based preplans, hydrant layers, and GIS data may become inaccessible.

3. Communication gaps

Apps used for paging, staffing, or incident coordination may stop functioning.

4. Increased cognitive load on crews

Firefighters must revert to manual navigation, radio‑only communication, and memory‑based preplans—adding stress during already high‑risk operations.

The Verizon outage was brief, but it demonstrated how fragile connected workflows can be when a single carrier experiences a failure.


The Case for On‑Board, Offline‑Capable Mapping

Why tools like Iron Compass Map Company’s OnScene Xplorer matter more than ever

One of the most important lessons from the outage is the value of locally stored, offline‑ready mapping systems. Fire departments need tools that continue working even when the network doesn’t.

This is exactly where OnScene Xplorer stands out.

How OnScene Xplorer mitigates outage risk

Because OnScene Xplorer stores mapping data directly on the apparatus MDT or tablet, crews retain access to:

  • Street maps
  • Hydrant locations
  • Pre‑incident plans
  • Offline routing

All without needing a live cellular connection.

During a Verizon‑style outage, while cloud‑dependent systems freeze, OnScene Xplorer continues functioning normally. That means:

1. Navigation stays online

Crews still get accurate routing, even in rural areas or dead zones.

2. Hydrant and Maps remain available

Critical water supply and hazard information stays at the crew’s fingertips.

3. Preplans load instantly

No spinning wheels, no “unable to load data,” no delays.

4. Interoperability remains intact

Mutual‑aid partners using different carriers or offline systems can still coordinate effectively.

5. Resilience becomes built‑in

A department is no longer dependent on the uptime of a single telecom provider.

In other words: OnScene Xplorer turns a network outage from a crisis into a non‑event.


What Fire Departments Should Take Away from the Verizon Outage

1. Assume outages will happen again

Whether caused by software bugs, infrastructure failures, or cyber incidents, large‑scale outages are inevitable.

2. Build redundancy into mission‑critical systems

If your mapping, preplans, or routing require live data, you’re accepting unnecessary operational risk.

3. Prioritize offline‑capable tools

Systems like OnScene Xplorer ensure continuity of operations regardless of carrier status.

4. Evaluate your current MDT ecosystem

Ask:

  • What breaks if the network goes down
  • What data is cloud‑only
  • What tools have offline fallback
  • How long crews can operate without connectivity

5. Treat mapping as life‑safety equipment

If firefighters can’t find the address, the hydrant, or the access point, response suffers. Offline mapping isn’t a convenience—it’s a safety requirement.


Final Thoughts

The January 2026 Verizon outage wasn’t catastrophic, but it was revealing. It showed how dependent modern emergency response has become on fragile cellular networks. Fire departments that rely solely on cloud‑based mapping or online preplans are one outage away from losing critical capabilities.

Tools like Iron Compass Map Company’s OnScene Xplorer offer a practical, proven solution:
keep the data on the truck, not in the cloud.

When the next outage hits—and it will—departments with offline‑capable mapping won’t miss a beat. Those without it may find themselves navigating blind.

OSX4 Replaces OSX3, OSX3 Retires March 2024

With the release of OnScene Xplorer 4.0 for Windows PC and iOS, Iron Compass announces that OnScene Xplorer 3.x and the automatic software and mapping data updates for 3.x will end on March 1, 2024. This will give our current customers ample time to transition to OnScene Xplorer 4.0.

OnScene Xplorer 4.0 features all new mapping data structures with automatic synchronization between devices and includes out of the box support for assets tracking. The new 4.0 features improved automatic base mapping updates and modern automatic software updates from the Microsoft Store and the Apple App Store.

OnScene Xplorer 4.0 includes tools to import Facility preplans, Map Markers, and Hydrants from OnScene Xplorer 3.x. As customers transition into OnScene Xplorer 4.0, customers using Dispatch Monitor will have the Dispatch Monitor transition to 4.0 as well.

Customers current in maintenance or with their subscription have access to Iron Compass’s tech support to ensure a smooth transition to OnScene Xplorer 4.0.

OSX 4.0 Asset Tracking in Place

Progress on OnScene Xplorer 4.0 is going very well. The work items list is shrinking and we’re getting down to a few remaining chunks of functionality.

Recently we added the asset tracking functionality. This support will be built-in to OSX4. Users will simply need to check a box and add a name of the unit to enable tracking.

While in-route to calls, all units in the department can be visible on the map display and aid incident commands to deploy the response. Now that we are tracking our beta units, we start to add in features we have on OSX3, like pausing the reporting of positions while the unit is in the station or on-scene.

Once OSX4 is released, we plan to add functionality to enable a department to share their asset locations with other departments. Cooperation like this enhances the situational awareness of all units responding to an incident.

The current OSX3’s functionality is named “Asset Tracker.” We’re not sure if OSX4 will need a separate product name for asset tracking. It will just be part of the core OnScene Xplorer 4.0.

What’s in a Name? Code Signing Certs

Our development of OnScene Xplorer 4.0 is going very well. So it is time to get a code signing cert (certificate) so users would not have to deal with that annoying popup in Windows asking if you trust to run the app.

Getting a cert is pretty straight forward: fill out a form, pay some money, provide some documentation to prove you are who you say you are, and they give you the cert. Simple, right?

We provided some docs from the Commonwealth of PA which shows our name and address. For the record, our registered name is “Iron Compass Map Company.” The cert authorities also want some additional documentation, for example, a utility bill. So we provided them with a bill from our internet service provider. The reply? We’re sorry, but this doesn’t have the full company name. You see, our ISP seems to only have 18 characters in the billing name, so our bill has “IRON COMPASS MAP C.”

We sent them a vehicle registration from the state, which has our full name, but that didn’t count. OK, so legal documents or records from our state government do not count. I guess they don’t trust the government. Then we got another reply:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for writing us.   Could you please confirm us shall we use the company name as ironcompass.com which is listing in zoominfo.com or do you wish to have Iron Compass Map Company.

Awaiting for your response !!

The lesson? Besides their English being a little suspect, they trust ZoomInfo.com more than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

OK, so we start looking at the bills from our vendors and guess what? All of our vendors either use some variation of our name (Iron Compass Map Co., Iron Compass Map, etc), or they use our mailing PO Box. Oh yes, cert company needs to have the registered address on the bill. The PO Box doesn’t count. Yes, as you would assume, we have our mail send to our PO Box. See, that is why we have a PO Box. Crazy, right? So, they wait.

Please provide us the comcast bill document document with the full company name Iron Compass Map Company, so that we will proceed further 

Wait a minute! We have a virtual phone system that bills annually…maybe they have our full name. Hey, they do. But it has our PO Box and not the registered address. But, in the last few emails, it seems like they are looking at the name separate from the address. Perhaps that will do? OK, Log in…bill history (Feb 2019), print, and email..

I think we have worn them down because they accepted the name with the PO Box address and are moving to the final item. Just thinking, if we were a fake company, wouldn’t we just fake some utility bills too? Only a legitimate company would do this whole back and forth to get a cert. Right?

After all this back and forth, they only need to verify our phone number by giving us a call and provide a code, which we then type into a web form.

Voila! Congratulation IRON COMPASS MAP C…… Iron Compass Map Co…..Iron Compass Map Company, you now have a code signing certificate. Yay!

Planning for OSX 4.0

The planning for OnScene Xplorer 4.0 has already begun. Actually, it has been on our minds for some time. We have learned a lot since releasing OnScene Xplorer 3.0 back in 2011. And a lot has changed in the world of technology too. Customers now have a range of devices to choose from like Android tablets, iPads, and Windows 10 laptops and tablets.

The component technologies that software companies use to develop apps has changed a lot too. It is much “easier” today to build apps that sync data and can be deployed onto different devices.

We actually chuckle to ourselves a little over today’s “fluent design” for apps, and realize the OSX released in 2003 looks very much like “fluent design”

We plan to post our progress here as OSX 4.0 design evolves and development progresses.