Purpose Statement
Creating a calendar link from the Events & Activities Calendar allows users to subscribe to department events in their personal or agency calendars (iCal, Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.). This keeps field personnel and administrators informed about trainings, meetings, and operational events without needing to log in to First Due each time.
Background Information
The Events & Activities Calendar can generate a unique subscription link that reflects the current filtered view of the calendar. This link can be added to most external calendar systems that support iCal/ICS feeds.
Key Benefits:
Automatically syncs upcoming events into external calendars (typically every 24 hours, depending on the platform)
Reduces manual entry and duplicate scheduling
Keeps personnel informed about schedule changes
Supports cross-platform use (desktop, mobile, and web calendars)
Common Use Cases:
Individual users adding department events to their personal calendars
Company officers monitoring company-level trainings and activities
Administrators sharing a read-only training or operations calendar internally
Prerequisites:
Access to the Events & Activities module
Permission to view the events you want included
An external calendar system that supports subscription via URL (iCal/ICS feed)
Required Permissions
Users typically need the following permissions:
Events & Activities → View Events
Events & Activities → View Daily Operations
Events & Activities → Calendar Export (or similar export-related permission, if enabled)
Permission names and availability may vary by agency configuration. If the export icon is not visible, contact your system administrator to review your user role.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Click on the First Due logo in the upper left-hand corner to open the module stack.
Select the First Due logo to expand the module stack and access available modules.
2. Click on Events & Activities.
From the module list, select Events & Activities to open the module dashboard.
3. Navigate to Events & Activities and select Daily Operations from the menu.
Using the left-side navigation panel within the module, click Daily Operations to access scheduling tools.
4. Make sure you are in the Calendar view.
At the top of the page, confirm that Calendar View is selected. If needed, switch from another view (such as List View) to Calendar View.
5. Click on the export icon to create your calendar link.
Locate and click the Export icon within the Calendar View. This will initiate the calendar subscription link generation process.
6. A unique link to the calendar will be created and automatically copied to your clipboard.
Once generated, the system creates a unique URL based on your current calendar view and filters. This link is automatically copied to your clipboard for immediate use.
7. Click on Done once you have the link copied.
After confirming the link has been copied, select Done to close the export window.
8. You can now insert the link into your iCal (iOS) Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or Google Calendar.
In your external calendar application, choose the option to Subscribe to Calendar or Add Calendar from URL (not “Import File”). Paste the copied link into the subscription field.
For assistance with specific platforms, refer to the following external resources (not maintained by First Due):
Best Practices
Apply filters before exporting
Configure calendar filters (such as module, station, company, or event type) before generating the link. The exported link will reflect the current filtered view.
Do not share links publicly
Treat calendar links as internal resources. Share only with authorized personnel to prevent unintended access to department schedules.
Use separate links for different audiences
Generate unique filtered views for different roles (e.g., Training Division, Administrative Staff, Station-Specific Personnel).
Verify sync behavior
After adding the link to your external calendar, confirm that events display correctly and monitor updates within the expected refresh timeframe of your platform.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
I don’t see the export icon in the Calendar view. What should I do?
You may not have the required export permission.
Contact your system administrator to review your user role and permissions.
The link doesn’t work when I paste it into my external calendar.
Ensure you are using Subscribe to Calendar or From URL, not Import File.
Confirm the entire URL was pasted correctly (no missing characters or extra spaces).
Events are not updating in my external calendar.
External calendars refresh on their own intervals; updates may take several minutes to several hours.
Confirm the subscription is still active in your calendar settings.
Can I revoke or change an existing calendar link?
If access needs to be adjusted, an administrator can update filters, modify permissions, or generate a new link. (Process may vary by agency configuration.)
Does the link show all events, including restricted ones?
The link will only include events that your user account has permission to view at the time the link is generated.