Purpose Statement

Assignments in First Due define specific duty stations, apparatus, or positions that personnel are scheduled to fill during their shifts. This feature enables administrators to create structured assignments with specific requirements, qualifications, and automated reporting integration. By properly configuring assignments, departments can ensure appropriate staffing levels, maintain qualification requirements, and streamline the transfer of scheduling data into incident reporting systems.

Background Information

Assignments are the foundation of First Due's scheduling system, representing the specific roles and locations where personnel work during their shifts. Each assignment can be associated with physical locations (stations), equipment (apparatus), organizational units (divisions), and scheduling tools (boards and rotations).

Assignments serve multiple critical functions:

• Staffing Management: Define position requirements and vacancy tracking on shift boards
• Qualification Tracking: Ensure personnel with appropriate certifications fill specialized positions
• Report Integration: Automatically populate fire and EMS incident reports with crew information
• Officer Designation: Identify Officers in Charge for automatic placement in incident reports
• Compound Rotations: Support complex scheduling patterns by linking related assignments

Common use cases include creating assignments for engine companies, ladder companies, medic units, battalion chief positions, specialized rescue teams, and training assignments. Assignments can be permanent (ongoing) or temporary (with defined start and end dates).

Prerequisites:

• Administrative access to Scheduling > Setup
• Understanding of your department's apparatus configuration
• Knowledge of required qualifications for specialized positions
• Completed Fire Incident Setup with defined riding positions
• Personnel records with API ID fields populated (required for OIC functionality)

Required Permissions

To create and manage assignments, users must have

1. Access Scheduling
   
2. Access Setup

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to Assignment Setup

1. Click on Scheduling in the main navigation menu
2. Select Setup from the dropdown options
3. Click on Assignments to view the assignments management page
4. Review existing assignments currently configured in your department
   

Step 2: Create a New Assignment

1. Click the Add Assignment button to open the assignment configuration form
   

1. In the Name field, enter a clear, descriptive name for the assignment 
   
2. Determine if the assignment is Sign Up Eligible 
   

1. Complete the Address Details section:
   • Enter the street address where the assignment is based
   • Include city, state, and ZIP code
   • This information helps with geographic reporting and resource tracking
     

Step 3: Associate the Assignment with Organizational Elements

1. Link the assignment to Unit Call Signs used in CAD systems and radio communications
2. Select the appropriate Apparatus:
   • This association is critical for automatically pulling crew names into Fire Reports
   • Choose the specific apparatus (engine, ladder, medic unit, etc.) assigned to this position
3. Associate with the appropriate Station(s) where this assignment is based
4. Link to relevant Boards where this assignment should appear on shift schedules
5. Connect to related Assignments if using Compound Rotations:
   • This creates associations between related positions
   • When placing personnel on Compound Rotations, the system will automatically display associated assignments
6. Assign to the appropriate Division(s) for organizational hierarchy and reporting
   

Step 4: Configure Assignment Scheduling Parameters

1. Set the Recurrence Rule to define when the assignment appears on the Shift Board:
   • Choose from daily, specific days of the week, or custom patterns
   • This determines the regular schedule for this assignment
     

1. Define whether the assignment Requires a Start and End Time
   
2. Determine the Start Time and End Time for the assignment shift
   
3. Set the First Occurrence date when this assignment should first appear on the Shift Board
4. Set the Last Occurrence date:
   • Leave blank for permanent, ongoing assignments
   • Enter a specific date for temporary assignments or seasonal positions
     

Step 5: Create and Configure Positions

1. Click on the Positions tab within the assignment configuration
   

1. Click Add Position to create a new position within this assignment
   

1. Configure the position details:
   • Qualifier: Select any required certification or qualification (e.g., Paramedic, Driver/Operator, TRT, Hazmat Technician)
   • Note: If the Qualifier dropdown is not appearing, double-click the field to activate it
   • Riding Position: Choose where this person will appear on Fire and EMS Reports (positions are created in Fire Incident Setup)
   • Officer in Charge (OIC): Check this box if the position holder is the incident commander
     • When checked, this individual will automatically populate as OIC in Fire and EMS Reports
       
   • Count as Vacancy: Check if an unfilled position should show as a vacancy on the Shift Board

IMPORTANT: For OIC functionality to work, personnel must have data in the API ID field in their personnel record

Agencies without API connections should place the Personnel ID in the API ID field

Step 6: Configure Shared Group Requirements (Optional)

1. Click Add Shared Group to assign group-based staffing requirements
   

1. Use this feature to ensure assignments have personnel with specific shared qualifications:
   • Example: A Heavy Rescue requiring three TRT (Technical Rescue Team) members
   • Example: A Hazmat unit requiring two Hazmat Technicians and one Hazmat Specialist
2. Set the quantity and qualification requirements for the shared group
3. This ensures the Shift Board validates that specialized assignments meet staffing requirements
   

Step 7: Save and Manage Assignments

1. Click Save when all configuration is complete
   

1. On the main Assignments page, manage existing assignments:
   • Edit: Click the pencil icon to modify assignment details
     
   • Duplicate: Click the two papers to duplicate the assignment
   • Delete: Click the trash can icon to remove an assignment (use caution)
   • Reorder: Click the four-arrow icon on the left and drag/drop assignments to change their display order on the Shift Board
     

Best Practices

Do's:

• Use clear, standardized naming conventions for assignments (e.g., "Engine 1", "Medic 3") to ensure easy identification on shift boards and reports
• Populate the API ID field for all personnel who may hold OIC positions to enable automatic incident report population
• Link assignments to the correct apparatus to ensure accurate fire and EMS report generation
• Set realistic qualification requirements that match your department's certification standards
• Use Shared Group Requirements for specialized units to maintain compliance with operational guidelines
• Document temporary assignments with clear Last Occurrence dates to prevent confusion when positions end
• Regularly audit assignments to ensure they reflect current operational needs and apparatus configurations
• Test new assignments by viewing them on the Shift Board before finalizing
• Associate assignments with appropriate boards to prevent scheduling conflicts

Don'ts:

• Avoid creating duplicate assignments with similar names that could cause confusion
• Don't leave the apparatus field blank if the assignment is tied to a specific unit, as this breaks Fire Report integration
• Don't forget to set the First Occurrence date, or the assignment won't appear on the Shift Board
• Avoid setting Last Occurrence dates on permanent assignments, as this will cause them to disappear unexpectedly
• Don't create positions without considering whether they should count as vacancies, as this affects shift board visibility
• Avoid selecting riding positions that don't match the actual function of the assignment
• Don't delete assignments that have historical scheduling data without consulting with your data manager
• Avoid changing established assignment configurations during active operational periods

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Forgetting to double-click the Qualifier field when the dropdown doesn't immediately appear
• Creating assignments without associating them to boards, making them invisible on shift schedules
• Failing to populate API ID fields for personnel, breaking OIC automation
• Setting overly restrictive qualification requirements that make assignments difficult to fill
• Not coordinating Compound Rotation associations, causing scheduling conflicts
• Overlooking the "Count as Vacancy" setting, leading to inaccurate staffing visibility

Troubleshooting & Q/A

Issue: The Qualifier field dropdown is not appearing

• Solution: Double-click directly on the Qualifier field. The dropdown should appear after the second click. This is a known interface behavior that requires the double-click action to activate.

Issue: Personnel assigned to OIC positions are not automatically appearing in Fire and EMS Reports

• Solution: Verify that the personnel member has data populated in the API ID field in their personnel record. Without this field populated, the OIC automation will not function. For agencies without API connections, enter the Personnel ID in the API ID field as a workaround.

Issue: The assignment is not appearing on the Shift Board

• Solution: Check the following:
  • Verify the First Occurrence date is set to today or a past date
  • Confirm the assignment is associated with at least one Board
  • Ensure the Recurrence Rule is properly configured for the current date
  • Check that the Last Occurrence date (if set) has not already passed

Issue: Names are not pulling into Fire Reports from scheduled assignments

• Solution: Confirm that the assignment is properly associated with the correct Apparatus. The apparatus link is essential for Fire Report integration. Navigate to the assignment configuration and verify the Apparatus field is populated with the correct unit.

Issue: Compound Rotations are not showing associated assignments

• Solution: Return to the assignment configuration and verify that related assignments are properly linked in the Assignments association section (Step 3). Both assignments in the rotation must reference each other for the compound rotation to function correctly.

Issue: Shared Group Requirements are not being enforced on the Shift Board

• Solution: Verify that:
  • Personnel have the required qualifications properly documented in their personnel records
  • The correct qualifications are selected in the Shared Group configuration
  • The quantity requirement matches operational needs

Issue: Assignment positions are appearing in the wrong order on reports

• Solution: The riding position configuration in Fire Incident Setup controls the order positions appear on reports. Navigate to Fire Incident Setup and adjust the riding position order to match your department's standard.

Issue: Unable to delete an assignment

• Solution: Assignments with historical scheduling data may be protected from deletion. Instead of deleting, set a Last Occurrence date in the past to remove it from active shift boards while preserving historical records.

Q: What happens if I don't set a Last Occurrence date?

• A: The assignment will be treated as permanent and will continue appearing on the Shift Board indefinitely according to its recurrence rule. This is appropriate for standard apparatus and station assignments.

Q: Can I create multiple positions with the same qualification requirement?

• A: Yes, you can create multiple positions within a single assignment that require the same qualification. This is common for assignments like "Engine 1" which might have multiple firefighter positions that all require the same base certification.

Q: How do I handle cross-staffing situations where one assignment covers multiple apparatus?

• A: Create the primary assignment and associate it with multiple apparatus in the configuration. When personnel are scheduled to this assignment, they will automatically appear on reports for all associated apparatus.

Q: What's the difference between Assignments and Rotations?

• A: Assignments define specific duty positions and their requirements. Rotations define the pattern of how personnel cycle through assignments over time (e.g., 24 on, 48 off). Assignments are "what," rotations are "when."

Q: Can field users see assignments?

• A: Field users can typically view assignments they are scheduled to fill on the Shift Board, but they cannot create or modify assignment configurations. Only administrators have access to the assignment setup area.