Fire Incident Form Builder Setup

Purpose Statement

The Fire Incident Form Builder allows administrators to customize the header and layout of printed or emailed Fire Incident reports. This feature enables departments to add professional branding, contact information, and departmental letterhead to their incident documentation, ensuring reports meet agency standards and maintain consistent presentation across all fire incident reports.

Background Information

Fire departments need the ability to brand their reports with departmental logos, letterhead, and contact information for professional documentation and official recordkeeping. The Form Builder provides a centralized location to configure these elements once, which then automatically applies to all printed or emailed fire incident reports. This eliminates the need for manual formatting on individual reports and ensures consistency across all incident documentation.

Common Use Cases:

• Adding departmental logos and letterhead to official reports
• Including department contact information on all fire reports
• Customizing report headers for different printing or distribution purposes
• Meeting agency branding requirements for incident documentation

Prerequisites:

• Fire Incident module must be configured
• Logo or header images should be prepared in advance (recommended formats: PNG, JPG)
• Understanding of departmental branding requirements

Required Permissions

Users need the following permissions to access and configure the Fire Incident Form Builder:

• Permissions to update the Incident Documentation module

Field users and supervisors who only generate reports do not need these permissions, as the form configuration applies automatically to their reports.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to Fire Incident Setup

1. Open the Incident Documentation module
2. Click on Fire Incident Setup

Step 2: Access the Form Builder

1. Click on the Form tab

Step 3: Configure the Header Type

1. Locate the Header Type 
2. Choose between Logo + Text or Header as Image as the form header:
   • Logo + Text: Displays an uploaded image alongside text fields (usually used for an agency address)
   • Header as Image: Uses a single image as the complete form header (typically departmental letterhead)

Step 4: Upload Your Header Image

1. Click Upload Image
2. Select an image file from your device
3. The image will populate in the header section as shown below

Step 5: Add Header Information (Optional)

1. Locate the Header Information free text box
2. Enter any text that should appear between the header and report content
3. Common uses include:
   • Department contact information
   • Office hours or emergency contact numbers
   • Report distribution instructions

Step 6: Save Your Configuration

1. Click Save
2. Confirm that your changes have been saved successfully

Step 8: Verify Your Setup

1. Navigate to the Fire Incident List
2. Select a completed NFIRS report
3. Click Print Preview to view the formatted report with your custom header
4. Verify that your header, logo, and text display correctly

Best Practices

Do:

• Use high-resolution images for logos and letterhead (minimum 300 DPI for print quality)
• Keep header text concise and professional
• Test the print preview after making changes to ensure proper formatting
• Save backup copies of custom header images
• Use consistent branding across all department documentation

Don't:

• Upload oversized images that may slow down report generation
• Include sensitive information in header text that shouldn't appear on all reports
• Make changes during active incident periods when reports may be in use
• Forget to verify the configuration after saving changes

Tips:

• Create a dedicated folder for approved departmental logos and letterhead images
• Coordinate with department leadership on approved branding elements before configuration
• Document your header configuration settings for future reference

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: My uploaded image isn't displaying correctly in the preview.

A: Check that the image format is supported (PNG or JPG). Ensure the image file size is reasonable (under 2MB). Try re-uploading the image or using a different file format.

Q: The header text is cut off when I print the report.

A: Reduce the amount of text in the Header Information field. Long text blocks may not fit within the designated header space. Consider using a more concise format or including detailed information in the report body instead.

Q: Changes I made aren't appearing on printed reports.

A: Ensure you clicked Save after making changes. Clear your browser cache and refresh the page. Navigate to a different NFIRS report and try printing again.

Q: Can I use different headers for different report types?

A: The Form Builder applies one header configuration to all NFIRS reports. If you need different headers for specific use cases, contact your system administrator about advanced configuration options.

Q: What image dimensions work best for the header?

A: Recommended dimensions vary by Header Type selection. For Logo + Text: 200x100 pixels. For Image Only (full letterhead): 800x200 pixels. Test your image in print preview to verify proper display.

Q: The report content overlaps with my header.

A: Reduce the size of your header image or minimize the text in the Header Information field. The system automatically adjusts spacing, but extremely large headers may cause formatting issues.

Related Articles

• Print or Email a Fire Incident (NFIRS Report)