Command: MAYDAY

Command: MAYDAY

Purpose Statement

The Mayday feature in the Command Module provides incident commanders with a structured, systematic approach to managing firefighter emergency situations by creating dedicated tracking sections, implementing protective restrictions on affected units and assignments, generating automatic Mayday-specific checklists, and maintaining comprehensive documentation of all Mayday-related actions. This critical safety feature ensures that personnel emergencies receive immediate attention, appropriate resources, and complete accountability throughout the Mayday incident lifecycle.

Background Information

Mayday situations represent the highest-priority emergencies during fire and rescue operations, requiring immediate command attention and systematic management to ensure the safety of endangered personnel. The Mayday feature transforms the command board to prioritize and track these life-threatening emergencies while maintaining documentation for post-incident review.

Mayday Activation Process

  • Initiated by selecting the Mayday button on the command board
  • Pop-up window allows selection of specific units declaring Mayday
  • Multiple units can be selected simultaneously if needed
  • Custom log entry can be added to document initial Mayday circumstances
  • Activation triggers multiple automatic changes to the command board interface and functionality

Command Board Changes Upon Activation

  • Unit Highlighting: Units declaring Mayday are highlighted in red in their last known assignment location
  • Mayday Section Creation: New dedicated Mayday section appears on the right side of the command board
  • Unit Restrictions: Red-highlighted Mayday units cannot be edited, moved to other assignments, or moved to unassigned units
  • Assignment Restrictions: Assignments containing Mayday units cannot be edited or deleted until Mayday is resolved
  • Mayday Assignment Creation: Automatic creation of dedicated Mayday tactical assignment
  • Mayday Checklist Creation: Automatic generation of Mayday-specific checklist configured in Command Setup

Mayday Section Unit Status Options Status updates that do NOT remove units from Mayday section:

  • Crew: Unit has reported crew status
  • Self-Rescued: Unit has self-extricated from danger
  • Rescued: Unit has been rescued by other personnel
  • Transported: Unit has been transported for medical care

Actions that DO remove units from Mayday section:

  • No Issue: Unit confirmed to have no actual emergency (returns to unassigned units)
  • Remove: Unit is removed from Mayday tracking (returns to unassigned units)

Mayday Assignment

  • Automatically created tactical assignment for Mayday operations
  • Functions like standard assignments for assigning rescue resources
  • Limited menu options—only "View Log History" available
  • Continues tracking assigned resources throughout Mayday operations

Mayday Checklist

  • Automatically generated based on configuration in Command Setup Mayday section
  • Functions identically to regular command board checklist
  • Supports adding additional items, completing items, editing items, and deleting items
  • Provides systematic approach to Mayday management tasks

Mayday Completion Only two methods to complete Mayday operations:

  • Cancel Mayday: Terminates Mayday with confirmation (used when Mayday was declared in error)
  • Complete Mayday: Formally concludes resolved Mayday with confirmation

Upon completion, the Mayday assignment shows as complete with green check mark, Mayday section is removed from command board, Mayday button returns to normal position, and units in Mayday assignment return to unassigned units.

All Mayday actions, status updates, and timeline events are automatically logged in the Log Section with complete timestamps for incident reconstruction and post-incident review.

Required Permissions

Users must have the appropriate level of the Incident Commands permission configured in their role:

  • Read: View command boards in read-only mode
  • Update: Modify command board settings and information
  • Create: Initiate new command boards and add custom items
  • Delete: Remove command board elements and complete incidents

Alert
Additional permissions may be required for specific functions like messaging and roster access based on integrated modules.

Video 


Step by Step Guide

1. The MAYDAY feature is activated by pressing the MAYDAY button:






2. When MAYDAY is activated, a popup window will appear displaying:
2A.   Search option to find a specific Unit.
2B.   All the Units (assigned and unassigned) that are attached to the Incident Command Board. Units selected for the MAYDAY will turn RED.
2C.   A Field to enter a log entry for the initiation of the MAYDAY.
2D.  MAYDAY button to confirm the start of the MAYDAY or Cancel button to abort.






3. After MAYDAY activation, several changes will occur to the Command Board:
3A.   A MAYDAY Checklist will appear next to the MAYDAY button. 
3B.   A MAYDAY Assignment will be automatically created and added to the assignments list in the first position.
3C.   Units selected for the MAYDAY will turn red and will be unable to edited or moved.
3D.  Each selected MAYDAY Unit will also appear in the MAYDAY Section on the right side of the Command Board.






4. Menu features for the MAYDAY units and the Assignments also are affected:
4A.  Each selected MAYDAY Unit no longer has any menu options available, and cannot be moved to another assignment, or to the Unassigned Units. 
4B.  Any assignment that has a MAYDAY Unit assigned to it can no longer be Edited, Deleted or marked Complete









5. The MAYDAY Checklist can be configured within Command Setup and is automatically generated on MAYDAY Activation with the following features:
5A.  Displays the number of Items to be completed
5B.  Ability to add additional MAYDAY Checklist items
5C.  Ability to complete individual items or all items at once (Complete All)
5D.  Edit Items with the pencil icon
5E.  Delete Items with the trash can icon






7. Units in the MAYDAY Section have a new menu available:
  1. At Crew (Time Stamp Only).
  2. Self Rescued (Time Stamp Only).
  3. Rescued (Time Stamp Only).
  4. Transported (Time Stamp Only).
  5. No Issue (Removes Unit from the MAYDAY Section and places Unit in the Unassigned Units).
  6. Remove  (Removes Unit from the MAYDAY Section and places Unit in the Unassigned Units).
  7. Log Entry.







8.  MAYDAY operations can only conclude in one of two ways within the Command Module:
  1. Complete.
     or
  2. Canceled.







9. When MAYDAY operations are marked as Complete or Cancelled, and confirmed by selecting yes in the popup window, several actions will occur before the Command Board returns to normal operations:
9A.  A pop-up confirmation will appear. Either MAYDAY Completed or MAYDAY cancelled.
9B.  The Mayday Button will return to MAYDAY and the MAYDAY Checklist will disappear.
9C.  Any units within the MAYDAY Assignment and the MAYDAY Area will be returned to the Unassigned Units area.
9D.  The MAYDAY Assignment will be marked complete denoted by a large green checkmark.
9E.  The MAYDAY section is removed from the Command Board.



Best Practices

Do's

  • Activate the Mayday feature immediately upon receiving a Mayday transmission to implement protective tracking
  • Assign adequate rescue resources to the Mayday assignment promptly to support endangered personnel
  • Use the Mayday checklist systematically to ensure critical tasks are completed during the emergency
  • Update Mayday unit status accurately as information becomes available to maintain situational awareness
  • Document significant events and updates using the "Create Log Entry" function for comprehensive timeline reconstruction
  • Maintain focus on Mayday operations while delegating other incident management tasks to division supervisors or command staff

Don'ts

  • Don't attempt to move or edit red-highlighted Mayday units—they are intentionally locked for tracking protection
  • Don't delete or edit assignments containing Mayday units until the Mayday is resolved
  • Don't cancel a Mayday prematurely without confirming all personnel are accounted for and safe
  • Don't remove units from Mayday tracking until their emergency status is definitively resolved
  • Don't forget to complete the Mayday formally using "Complete Mayday" rather than leaving it in an incomplete state
  • Don't fail to review and utilize the Mayday checklist—it provides systematic approach to critical tasks

Tips & Recommendations

  • Configure comprehensive Mayday checklists in Command Setup during pre-incident planning to ensure critical tasks aren't overlooked
  • Train all command personnel on Mayday feature activation and management during non-emergency periods
  • Establish department protocols for Mayday declaration criteria and command response expectations
  • Use custom log entries at Mayday activation to capture initial circumstances, location, and reported conditions
  • Assign a dedicated officer to manage Mayday operations (Rapid Intervention Team supervisor) who can focus on rescue coordination
  • Review Mayday log documentation during post-incident critique to identify lessons learned and improvement opportunities

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why can't I move or edit a unit that's highlighted in red?
A: Units highlighted in red are declared Mayday units and are intentionally locked to prevent accidental modification during the emergency. This protective restriction ensures Mayday units remain tracked in their last known location and cannot be inadvertently moved or altered during rescue operations.

Q: Can I delete an assignment that has a Mayday unit in it?
A: No. Assignments containing Mayday units are protected and cannot be edited or deleted until the Mayday is resolved. This ensures the assignment context and last known location of Mayday units are preserved throughout the emergency.

Q: What's the difference between the status updates (Crew, Self-Rescued, Rescued, Transported) and the removal options (No Issue, Remove)?
A: Status updates provide progress information but keep the unit in the Mayday section for continued tracking. Removal options ("No Issue" and "Remove") actually remove the unit from Mayday tracking and return it to unassigned units, indicating the emergency is resolved for that unit.

Q: Can I add units to assignments that already have Mayday units in them?
A: Yes. While the Mayday units themselves are locked, you can still assign additional units to assignments containing Mayday units. This allows you to send rescue resources to the location where Mayday personnel are known to be.

Q: What happens if I accidentally cancel a Mayday instead of completing it?
A: Both "Cancel Mayday" and "Complete Mayday" have the same functional result—they close the Mayday tracking and return the command board to normal operations. The distinction is primarily for documentation purposes in the Log Section. If you need to reactivate Mayday tracking, you would need to activate the Mayday feature again.

Q: How do I know which checklist items will appear when I activate a Mayday?
A: Mayday checklist items are configured in Command Setup in the Mayday section. Review and configure these checklist items during pre-incident planning to ensure appropriate tasks are included. Contact your system administrator if Mayday checklist configuration needs to be modified.


    • Related Articles

    • Command Setup: MAYDAY Checklist

      Purpose Statement The Mayday checklist feature in First Due provides incident commanders with a critical safety tool that automatically populates when the Mayday feature is activated during emergencies. This specialized checklist ensures systematic ...

    • Command Setup: Command Staff

      Purpose Statement Command Staff management in the Command Module allows departments to create and maintain standardized incident command positions that can be utilized on the command board during emergency incidents. This feature ensures proper ...

    • Command: Units

      Purpose Statement The units management system within the command module provides comprehensive control over all emergency response resources assigned to an incident. This feature enables incident commanders to track, organize, and deploy units ...

    • Command: Notes

      Purpose Statement The Notes feature in the Command Module allows incident commanders and personnel to document important information, communications, and observations during active incidents. This feature enables users to create three distinct types ...

    • Command: Messaging

      Purpose Statement The Messaging feature in the Command Module enables incident commanders and authorized users to communicate with First Due system users by sending targeted messages to individuals or groups, utilizing pre-configured message ...