The street view feature on the hydrant detail page shows a ground-level photograph of the hydrant's location. It uses Google Street View imagery, so the photo may not reflect the most recent conditions, but it gives you and your crew a good idea of what the area looks like before you arrive on scene.
Toggling street view on
On the hydrant's detail page, look below the map for a Street View button. Click it to open the street-level view below the map. The view opens at the hydrant's GPS coordinates. The button changes to Hide Street View so you can close the view again.
Navigating the view
Once in street view, you can look around by clicking and dragging. Use the scroll wheel or pinch to zoom in and out. The heading (which direction you are facing), pitch (how far up or down you are looking), and zoom level all adjust as you move.
Saving the camera angle
When you find a good angle that clearly shows the hydrant and its surroundings, click Save This View. This saves the heading, pitch, and zoom so that the next person who opens this hydrant's detail page sees exactly the same view.
This is useful because Google's default angle does not always point at the hydrant. By saving a specific angle, you make sure everyone on your crew sees the hydrant in the photo, not the house across the street.
Example
Hydrant H-220 is set back from the road behind a row of parked cars. The default street view faces the wrong direction. You drag the view until the hydrant is centered, zoom in slightly, and click Save This View. Now when Engine 3's crew pulls up this hydrant before a call, they can see exactly where it is relative to the driveway and the parked cars.
Clearing a saved view
If the saved angle is no longer useful (for example, the hydrant was relocated), click Clear Saved View. The street view goes back to the default angle based on the hydrant's coordinates. You or someone else can then save a new angle.
When street view is not available
Some locations do not have Google Street View coverage. This is common in rural areas, private roads, and new developments. If Street View is not available, the view area will be blank or show a message. The hydrant record is not affected -- everything else works the same.
Tip
After adding a new hydrant, take a minute to open its detail page and save a street view angle. Your crew will thank you the first time they need to find that hydrant at two in the morning.