Purpose Statement

The Manage Divisions section allows Incident Command to organize complex incidents by creating, managing, and supervising operational divisions within the Command Board. Divisions enable the Incident Commander to delegate responsibility, organize assignments, manage resources, and maintain accountability while providing Division Supervisors with access to manage their assigned operational areas.

Background Information

As incidents increase in complexity, a single Command Board can become difficult to manage. The Manage Divisions section allows Incident Command to separate operations into multiple divisions while maintaining visibility and control over the entire incident.

Each division operates with its own Command Board, assignments, units, personnel, PAR timer, supervisor, and radio frequency while remaining connected to the primary Incident Command Board.

The Incident Command Board always remains the parent board and cannot be deleted or renamed. Divisions may be created manually or loaded from the selected incident template if they were configured during Command Setup.

Required Permissions

Users must have permission to access the Command Module and Manage Divisions during an active incident.

Division Supervisors have limited permissions and can only manage their assigned division. Specific First Due permissions should be verified within the platform's Permissions documentation, as individual permission names are not identified in the source material.

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the Incident Command Board

1. Open the Manage Divisions section.
2. Locate the Incident Command board. This as the default board for the incident and take note that the Incident Command Board cannot be renamed or deleted.
3. Select the Eye icon to open the Incident Command Board.

Create a Division

1. Select Add Items.
2. Select Divisions.
3. Search for an existing division.
4. Select one or more divisions from the available list.
5. Select Add.
6. Verify the divisions appear beside the Incident Command Board.

Add Divisions or Create a Custom Division

1. Select Add Items.
2. Select Divisions.
3. Use the Search field to filter the list or type the complete division name into the search field to create a Custom Division.
4. OR Choose from the list of Divisions previously created in Command Setup.
5. Select Create.

Reorder Divisions

• Locate the division you want to move.
• Select and hold the Vertical Ellipsis.
• Drag the division to its new location.

Show or Hide Division Details

• Select the Show/Hide Details icon to display or hide the detailed information for every division.

Assign a Division Supervisor

1. Within the Supervisor dropdown, search and select a system user.
2. Either wait for the system user to accept the Division Supervision or select Assign Now

Assign a Radio Frequency

• Locate the Radio Frequency field and select a radio frequency from the configured list.

Reset a Division PAR Timer

• Use the Reset PAR Timer button to reset the timer when appropriate.

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Important Note:

Monitor the timer as it counts independently from the Incident Command Board.

Division PAR timers mirror the template PAR Timer threshold and will turn yellow one minute before the threshold, and turn red when the threshold is reached.

Open a Division Command Board

1. At the top of the desired division select the Eye icon.
2. The User will be taken directly to the Division Command Board in the Board Section. Verify the Command Board Selector displays the selected division.

Open a Division Using the Command Board Selector

1. Open the Command Board Selector.
2. Select the desired division.
3.  Select the Board Section to enter that Division Command Board.

Rename a Division

1. Locate the division to edit and select the Pencil icon.
2. Enter the new division name or change the Division to another selected in the list.
3. Select Save.

Delete a Division

1. Select the Trash icon on the Division to delete.
2. Confirm the deletion.

View Division Assignments

• Select the Assignments tab.
• Review assignments displayed beneath each division & the Incident Command Board.

Move an Assignment between Incident Command & Divisions

• Assignments can be moved to a Division, between Divisions and back to the Incident Command board.
• Drag & Drop the assignment into the desired location.
• Verify the assignment and all assigned units move together.

Create an Assignment Within a Division

1. Select Add Items.
2. Select Assignments.
3. Choose the destination division.
4. Search for an existing assignment or create a custom assignment.
5. Select Add.

View Unassigned Units

• Select the Unassigned Units tab.
• Review all unassigned units within Incident Command and each division.

Move Unassigned Units Between Divisions

• Unassigned Units can be moved to a Division, between Divisions and back to the Incident Command board.
• Drag & Drop the Unassigned Unit into the desired location.
• Verify the Unassigned Unit and all assigned Personnel move together.

Add Unassigned Units

1. Select Add Items.
2. Select Unassigned Units.
3. Search for an existing Unassigned Unit or create a custom Unassigned Unit.
4. Select Add.

View Unassigned Personnel

• Select the Unassigned Personnel tab.
• Review personnel assigned to Incident Command and each division.

Move Personnel Between Divisions

• Unassigned Personnel can be moved to a Division, between Divisions and back to the Incident Command board.
• Drag & Drop the Unassigned Personnel into the desired location.
• Verify the Unassigned Personnel in the new location.

Add Personnel to the Incident Command Board

• Return to the Incident Command Board.

1. Select the Personnel slider.
2. Select the Plus (+) button.
3. Use the slider to add all System Users.
4. Search for personnel or filter the available list using scheduling filters.
5. Select one or more personnel.
6. Choose Save to add them as unassigned personnel, or assign them directly to a unit.

Additional Management of Division Command Boards 

• Within the Board Section use the Command Board Selector to choose the desired Division.
• Perform assignment management including but not limited to:
  • Move units to assignments.
  • Edit assignments.
  • Complete PAR checks.
  • Reset PAR timers.

Best Practices

• Create divisions early during large or complex incidents to improve organization.
• Assign Division Supervisors before moving assignments into a division.
• Keep radio frequencies updated to improve communications.
• Monitor division PAR timers independently throughout the incident.
• Move assignments instead of recreating them to preserve assigned units.
• Use the Incident Command Board as the primary coordination point.
• Switch to a Division Command Board when detailed assignment management is required.
• Regularly review division assignments and unassigned resources to maintain accountability.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why can't I rename the Incident Command Board?

The Incident Command Board is the default parent board and cannot be renamed or deleted.

Why can't I assign an unassigned unit to an assignment from Manage Divisions?

Manage Divisions does not support assigning units directly to assignments. Open the appropriate Division Command Board to complete this action.

Why isn't the Division field displayed when creating an assignment?

If the Command Board Selector is already set to a specific division, new assignments are automatically created within that division instead of prompting for a destination.

What happens if I delete a division?

The division is removed, its assignments are deleted, and any assigned units and personnel are returned to the Incident Command Board's unassigned sections.

Why can't a Division Supervisor edit other divisions?

Division Supervisors only have edit access to their assigned division. All other divisions and the Incident Command Board are available in read-only mode.