Case study · Parks & recreation software
ParkZapp: from a broken swing to safer playgrounds in 36 states and Canada.
My son was injured on a broken playground swing. That one moment led me to build ParkZapp, a platform that helps parks, school districts and facility teams replace paper checklists with digital inspections, so problems get found and fixed sooner.
The problem
Playgrounds are inspected to protect children. But in many agencies and school districts, those inspections lived on paper checklists. Reports were slow to file, hard to track, and easy to lose between the inspector, the supervisor and the repair crew.
When a hazard is written on paper, it waits. It waits to be typed up, to be noticed, and to be assigned. I learned what that wait can cost when my own son was hurt by a broken swing. I kept asking one simple question: could technology help parks find problems earlier, and create better accountability for fixing them?
What we built
I wanted a tool built around how inspectors and maintenance teams actually work in the field, not one more system for them to fight with.
- Digital inspections that replace paper checklists on iOS, Android and the web, with CPSC, CSA and ASTM standards built in
- Photos and video attached to every finding, with each location's status shown on a map
- Work orders created straight from an inspection, so the repair crew sees the exact issue
- Maintenance alerts and scheduling reminders so inspections stay on time
- Asset management to add, track and retire equipment
- Printable reports and cloud access for supervisors, administrators and compliance reviews
- Public service requests by QR code, so residents can report a problem they see
- Roles and permissions that scale from a single inspector to a whole enterprise
Today ParkZapp covers nine modules: Playground, Building, Sports Field, Ice Arena Safety, Fire, and Parking Lot and Sidewalk inspections, plus Asset Management, Custom Inspections and Work Orders.
Client story
Salem-Keizer Public Schools: 45 playgrounds, one consistent process
Salem-Keizer Public Schools in Salem, Oregon supports 45 playgrounds across elementary and preschool sites. Paper inspection reports were time-consuming, difficult to track, and often delayed finding and prioritizing repairs.
- Digital inspections customized to each playground's layout and equipment
- Automated alerts and scheduling reminders
- Detailed reports and cloud access across departments
- Reporting for administrative review
- Improved efficiency, accuracy and accountability in playground safety
- Clearer visibility into hazards and faster repair prioritization
- Responsive support and customization for a large public school system
“It has transformed the way we maintain our playground safety program and strengthened our commitment to providing safe and engaging play environments.”
Salem-Keizer has been a ParkZapp client for 8 years. Read the full story on parkzapp.com.
What inspectors say
Built for the people in the field
“ParkZapp is super user-friendly and cleanly designed.”
“The ability to generate work orders and reports right from my phone is very convenient.”
“I highly recommend this app to anyone needing to standardize their inspection process!”
Testimonials as published on parkzapp.com.
In the industry
Showing up where parks professionals gather
ParkZapp has taken part in NRPA industry events since about 2017. In 2025 I spoke at the NRPA Annual Conference session "AI Tech & Park Operations" with Brian McKenna, Christopher Lessig and Omotayo Ajayi.
At the NRPA Annual Conference 2026 in Philadelphia, ParkZapp exhibited at booth #2954 with the session "Use of AI in Operations Management for Parks and Rec."
What I learned
Lessons I bring to every project
- Understand the problem first. Then build the technology.
- Build with the people who do the work, not just for them.
- Make it easy to use, or it will not be used. Paper is hard to beat when software is complicated.
- Keep people in the loop. Technology finds the issue; a person decides and fixes it.
Have a problem worth solving?
Let's build the right tool for it.
Whether it is custom software, AI workflows, or a platform like ParkZapp, I start with your problem and your people.