Purpose Statement

The Command Board Section in the Command Module serves as the central operational interface for incident commanders to manage all aspects of tactical operations by organizing command staff positions, tracking unassigned units, managing tactical assignments, conducting personnel accountability reports, and maintaining comprehensive resource accountability. This unified interface provides real-time visibility of resource allocation, assignment progress tracking with timers, personnel accountability capabilities, and systematic documentation of all operational actions throughout the incident lifecycle.

Background Information

The Command Board is the primary working interface within the Command Module, providing incident commanders with a comprehensive view of all incident resources and tactical operations in a single, organized display. Understanding the layout, functionality, and interaction patterns of the Command Board is essential for effective incident management.

Command Board Layout - Three Primary Areas

1. Command Staff Section (Left Side)

• Displays command and chief officer positions
• Position order is established by template configuration in Command Setup and cannot be modified on the board
• Positions can be filled by dragging and dropping units from unassigned units
• Filled positions can be cleared back to unassigned units by dragging them out

2. Unassigned Units Section (Center)

• Displays all units tied to the incident not currently assigned to tactical operations
• Initially populated with dispatched units from the original alarm
• Automatically updates with units from upgrades or additional alarms
• Shows units manually added by command board users
• Serves as the resource pool for assignment to command staff or tactical assignments

3. Assignments Section (Right Side)

• Displays tactical assignments organized as groups or tasks
• Shows assignment completion ratio (completed assignments / total assignments)
• Default assignments and initial arrangement based on template configuration
• Assignment field order can be rearranged by command board users
• Each assignment tracks overall assignment timer and individual unit timers

Unit Management Capabilities

• Add Units: Manually add additional units from system lists or create custom units
• Edit Units: Modify unit names or identifiers
• Clear Units: Remove units from command board (does not affect dispatch call)
• Duplicate Units: Clone units for split crew operations
• Add Notes: Attach unit-specific documentation
• Make Lead: Designate units as lead within assignments (shows blue banner, controls map visibility)

Assignment Management Capabilities

• Assignment Timers: Track overall assignment duration from first unit assignment
• Unit Timers: Track individual unit time within specific assignments
• Timer Warnings: Yellow at one minute before threshold, red when threshold reached
• Timer Reset: Can be reset at any time
• Edit: Modify assignment details
• Delete: Remove assignments (returns units to unassigned)
• Complete: Mark assignments finished (shows green check mark, stops timer, returns units to unassigned)
• Assign to Division: Move assignments to specific divisions
• Duplicate: Clone assignments for similar operations
• Add Notes: Document assignment-specific information
• Log History: View filtered log entries for specific assignments

PAR Check Integration

• PAR timer with configurable threshold and audio/visual warnings
• Shield icon initiates PAR check process
• Command board dims to read-only except for unit PAR status marking
• Only units in assignments can be marked for PAR (unassigned units and command staff excluded)
• Three status states: Yellow (warning/no response), Green (PAR confirmed), Red (issue reported)
• PAR counter tracks units marked as having PAR
• Options: "All Units PAR", "Incomplete PAR", "Pause PAR", "Resume PAR"
• PAR timer auto-resets upon completion

All command board actions are automatically logged in the Log Section with complete timestamps, user information, and action details for comprehensive incident documentation.

Best Practices

Do's

• Organize command staff positions immediately upon assuming command to establish clear incident organization
• Keep the unassigned units section organized by clearing units that have left the scene or been released
• Assign units to tactical assignments promptly to ensure accurate timer tracking and accountability
• Monitor both assignment timers and unit timers to maintain awareness of operational duration and accountability
• Use the assignment completion ratio as a quick reference for overall tactical progress assessment
• Designate lead units within assignments to ensure proper visibility on the Map Section
  

Don'ts

• Don't forget that clearing units from the command board does not clear them from the dispatch call
• Don't ignore assignment or PAR timer warnings—they indicate accountability thresholds have been reached
• Don't delete assignments without understanding that units will return to unassigned units
• Don't mark assignments complete prematurely before tactical objectives are actually achieved
• Don't rush through PAR checks—accurate accountability takes precedence over speed
• Don't forget to utilize the command board's comprehensive logging for post-incident documentation
  

Tips & Recommendations

• Configure templates in Command Setup with appropriate command staff positions, default assignments, and timer thresholds
• Establish department protocols for command board organization and assignment naming conventions
• Train all command personnel on drag-and-drop functionality and menu options during non-emergency periods
• Use assignment duplication to quickly create multiple similar tactical assignments
• Leverage the log history feature on assignments to review assignment-specific timeline during operational transitions
• Coordinate timer thresholds across assignments, divisions, and PAR checks for integrated accountability management
  

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Can I change the order of command staff positions on the command board?
A: No. The order of command staff positions is established by template configuration in Command Setup and cannot be modified on the command board. Contact your system administrator if position order needs to be changed at the template level.

Q: Why do units in the same assignment have different timer values?
A: Individual unit timers track only the time each specific unit has spent in that particular assignment. Units assigned at different times will have different timer values. The assignment timer at the top tracks the overall duration of the assignment itself.

Q: What's the difference between deleting and completing an assignment?
A: Both actions return units to unassigned units and update the assignment ratio. However, "Complete" marks the assignment with a green check mark indicating tactical success, while "Delete" simply removes the assignment. "Complete" is the appropriate action when tactical objectives are achieved; "Delete" is used when an assignment was created in error or is no longer needed.

Q: Why can't I include unassigned units or command staff in PAR checks?
A: The PAR check system only includes units assigned to tactical assignments because they are actively engaged in hazardous operations requiring accountability tracking. Unassigned units and command staff are not in tactical assignments requiring the same level of PAR accountability.

Q: What happens to the PAR timer after I complete a PAR check?
A: The PAR timer automatically resets to zero and begins counting toward the threshold again after completing a PAR check (either "All Units PAR" or "Incomplete PAR"). This establishes the timeline for the next accountability cycle.

Q: Can I move units directly from one assignment to another without going through unassigned units?
A: Yes. Units can be dragged directly from one assignment field and dropped into another assignment field. The unit's individual timer restarts to track time in the new assignment.