General Subsection
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this article is to guide administrators through configuring the General sub-section settings within Fire Incident Setup. These settings control critical operational parameters including incident retention policies, user timeout durations, display preferences, CAD integration options, NFIRS compliance features, and export scheduling. Properly configuring these settings ensures efficient incident management, accurate reporting, and seamless integration with external systems.
Background Information
The General sub-section serves as the foundational configuration hub for all Fire Incident documentation processes within First Due. These settings directly impact how incidents are created, displayed, managed, and exported throughout your department's workflow. Administrators use this section to establish department-wide standards for incident handling; from the moment an incident is created through final export to state reporting systems.
Common use cases include setting up automated NFIRS export schedules, enabling CAD refresh capabilities for field users, configuring occupancy record integration for faster data population, and establishing incident retention policies that comply with departmental record-keeping requirements.
Required Permissions
Users must have Administrator permissions with access to Fire Incident Setup configuration settings. This typically includes users with System Administrator or Fire Chief roles who have been granted configuration rights within the First Due platform.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Fire Incident Setup from the main menu.
Select the General section, then click on the General sub-section.
2. Using the dropdown menu, select the Time Measure for how long deleted Fire incidents should be retained before permanent removal.
There are two choices: Days or Hours.
3. Enter the specific number of Days or Hours to retain deleted incidents before they become permanently removed from the system.
4. Set a number (in minutes) that will automatically remove a user from a fire incident report if they remain idle on the screen.
This prevents incidents from being locked by inactive users.
5. Using the dropdown menu, select how the Dispatch Incident Type will display to users when completing reports.
This determines the format users see when selecting incident types.
Example of Dispatch Incident Type dropdown when completing a report.
6. From the dropdown menu, select a default date range for the Fire Incident List to display.
This controls which incidents appear when users first access the incident list.
7. To enable users to create blank incidents from scratch, toggle on the appropriate setting. This will populate two additional options:
- Use Automatic Incident Numbering - Will begin on day one following your incident numbering format.
- Leave incident number blank - Will allow for you to enter an incident number each time and will not auto populate the next available number.
NOTE - This option will create the +Add New button on the Fire Incident List.
8. If enabled, any device logged in as a unit (rather than an individual user) will have the ability to start or complete incidents from the Fire Incident List Actions column.
9. Enable this setting if you wish to have NFIRS numeric codes visible to users when completing a fire incident.
Example: Actions taken: "86-Investigate" vs. "Investigate"
10. Enable the CAD Refresh button to allow users to update/refresh their incident data with the most current information from your CAD system.
This feature is available on both web and mobile app versions.
Web version:
App version:
11. Choose when to use the NFIRS Wildland Form for Outdoor Fires by selecting one of three options:
- Always will always enable the NFIRS Wildland Form within the incident report.
- Never will disable the NFIRS Wildland Form within the incident report.
- Per Incident enables the report writer to choose whether or not to use the NFIRS Wildland Form within the incident report.
12. Enable Fire Incident Export and configure the following parameters:
IRWIN Submission (Wildland Fire Incidents):
Check the box "Do you want to submit to IRWIN?" to enable automatic submission of wildland fire incidents to the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) system
13. Choose whether to populate information into incident reports from Occupancy Records. Information that can be automatically populated includes:
- Demographics/Info - Building Status, Property Use, Pre-Incident Property Value
- Area - Length, Width, Total Area, Floors above grade, Floors below grade
- Construction - Structure Type
- Contacts - People involved
14. Enable Fire Incident Export and configure the following parameters:
Fire Incident report method:
- Immediate upon Authorization - Exports an incident immediately upon its authorization.
- Deferred, upon Authorization - Exports authorized incidents on a interval selected in "NFIRS export frequency"
Fire Incident export frequency:
- Weekly - Exports once weekly on the day selected.
- Monthly - Exports once a month on the day selected.
- Quarterly - Exports once a quarter on the day you have selected (see example below)
Fire Incident export day:
- Weekly - Select the day of the week to export.
- Monthly - Select the day in the month to export. If you select the 30th or 31st of the month, then for months without that date (e.g., Feb), the export will occur on the last relevant day of the month (e.g., Feb 28).
- Quarterly - Select the day in the month after the end of the quarter to export. (e.g., Q1 ends March 31; if you select "2", the export will occur April 2)
15. Department exporting. You can choose to export them Immediately or Monthly, if Monthly is selected you can choose the day of the month.
16. Select the Add button to enter email addresses that should receive export notifications and files.
17. Always select Save when all configuration changes are complete.
Best Practices
Retention Period Recommendations:
- Set deletion retention periods based on your state's record retention requirements—most states require 7-10 years for fire incident records
- Use "Days" rather than "Hours" for retention settings unless you have specific short-term testing needs
- Consider setting a minimum 30-day retention period for deleted incidents to allow for recovery of accidentally deleted records
Timeout Configuration:
- Set idle timeout between 15-30 minutes to balance security with user convenience
- Consider longer timeouts (30-45 minutes) for administrative users who may need to reference multiple sources while completing reports
- Shorter timeouts (10-15 minutes) are recommended for shared devices or stations with high user turnover
Export Scheduling:
- Schedule exports during off-peak hours to minimize system performance impact
- Use deferred exports with weekly or monthly frequency for most departments—immediate exports are typically only necessary for departments with strict real-time reporting requirements
- Always include at least two email recipients for export notifications to ensure continuity
CAD Integration:
Enable CAD Refresh for departments with CAD system integration to ensure users always have access to the most current incident information
Train users to refresh CAD data before finalizing reports to capture any updates made by dispatch
NFIRS Wildland Forms:
Use "Per Incident" setting for departments that respond to both wildland and structural fires, allowing flexibility for report writers
Use "Always" only if your department primarily responds to wildland incidents
Consult your state fire marshal's office regarding specific wildland reporting requirements
Occupancy Record Integration:
Enable occupancy record population to reduce manual data entry and improve report accuracy
Ensure your occupancy records are current before enabling this feature
Train users to verify auto-populated data before finalizing reports
For the Best Practices Section - Add this subsection:
IRWIN Submission:
- Enable IRWIN submission only if your department responds to wildland fires and is required to report to the federal IRWIN system
- Ensure your NFIRS Wildland Form settings are properly configured before enabling IRWIN submission
- IRWIN submissions require specific data fields to be completed—incidents missing required wildland fire data may fail to submit
- Contact your state forestry agency or wildland fire coordinator to verify your department's IRWIN reporting requirements
- IRWIN submissions are separate from NFIRS exports; you may need both enabled depending on your jurisdiction's requirements
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Q: Why can't I see the +Add New button on my Fire Incident List?
A: The +Add New button only appears when you've enabled the "Allow users to create blank incidents from scratch" setting in the General sub-section. Verify this setting is toggled on and that you've saved your configuration.
Q: My CAD Refresh button isn't appearing for field users. What's wrong?
A: Verify that: (1) The CAD Refresh setting is enabled in the General sub-section, (2) Your department has an active CAD integration configured, and (3) Field users have the appropriate permissions to access CAD data.
Q: Deleted incidents are being permanently removed before our retention period expires. Why?
A: Check that you've selected the correct Time Measure (Days vs. Hours). A common mistake is setting "7 Hours" instead of "7 Days" for retention periods.
Q: My NFIRS exports aren't being sent on the scheduled day. What should I check?
A: Verify that: (1) Fire Incident Export is enabled, (2) The export frequency and day are correctly configured, (3) At least one valid email address has been added to receive exports, and (4) The incidents you expect to be exported have been properly authorized.
Q: Can I have different export schedules for NFIRS incidents and department data?
A: Yes. Fire Incident exports and Department exports have separate scheduling configurations. You can set Fire Incidents to export weekly while Department data exports monthly, or any other combination that meets your needs.
Q: What happens if I select the 31st as my monthly export day?
A: For months that don't have 31 days, the export will automatically occur on the last day of that month. For example, if you select the 31st, February exports will occur on February 28 (or 29 in leap years).
Q: Should I use automatic incident numbering or leave numbers blank?
A: Use automatic incident numbering if your department follows a consistent, sequential numbering format. Leave numbers blank only if your department uses CAD-assigned incident numbers or has a non-sequential numbering system that requires manual entry.
Q: Why would I enable unit-level access for completing incidents?
A: Unit-level access is useful for apparatus-mounted tablets or station computers where multiple crew members may access the system. This allows any crew member to complete incident reports without needing to log in with individual credentials. However, consider your accountability and audit trail requirements before enabling this feature.
Q: What is IRWIN and do I need to enable it?
A: IRWIN (Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information) is a federal system for tracking wildland fire incidents across the United States. Enable this feature only if your department responds to wildland fires and your state or federal agency requires IRWIN reporting. Contact your state forestry agency if you're unsure about your reporting requirements.
Q: My wildland fire incidents aren't submitting to IRWIN. What's wrong?
A: Verify that: (1) The "Do you want to submit to IRWIN?" checkbox is enabled, (2) Your NFIRS Wildland Form is enabled (either "Always" or "Per Incident"), (3) All required wildland fire data fields have been completed in the incident report, and (4) The incident has been properly authorized. IRWIN submissions require more specific data than standard NFIRS reports.
Q: Can I submit to both IRWIN and NFIRS?
A: Yes. IRWIN and NFIRS exports are independent systems. Most departments that respond to wildland fires will need both enabled—NFIRS for general fire incident reporting and IRWIN specifically for wildland fire incidents. Your export schedules for each system can be configured separately.
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