Purpose Statement

Background Information

Traditional call shift processes often require manual tracking of who has been notified and when to expand the opportunity to additional personnel. Tiered call shifts automate this workflow by allowing administrators to define up to five sequential notification groups, each with its own deadline and qualification criteria. This systematic approach is particularly valuable for departments managing complex staffing requirements, such as minimum certification levels, apparatus-specific qualifications, or seniority-based assignment rights.

The tiered system supports both exclusive and overlapping notification periods. Administrators can choose whether previous tiers remain open (allowing multiple groups to accept simultaneously) or close automatically as new tiers activate (enforcing strict sequential processing). This flexibility accommodates various departmental policies while maintaining transparency in the staffing process.

Common use cases include:

• Offering overtime first to personnel with specific apparatus certifications before expanding to general-qualified staff
• Respecting seniority-based callback rights by tiering notifications by hire date or rank
• Managing cross-district staffing by prioritizing in-district personnel before offering opportunities to other districts
• Implementing collective bargaining agreement requirements for shift opportunity distribution
• Reducing callback fatigue by limiting initial notifications to the most qualified or interested personnel

Required Permissions

To create and manage tiered call shifts, users must have the following permissions:

• Initiate Call Shifts - Allows the user to create new call shifts from the Personnel > Call Shifts menu
• Access Call Shifts - Grants basic access to view and interact with the call shift system

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Enabling Tiered Call Shift Mode

1. Navigate to Scheduling > Call Shifts in the main menu
   

1. Click New Call Shift
   

1. Select an existing Qualifier for the call shift (qualification requirements must be established before enabling tiered mode)
   

1. Locate and activate the Tiered Call Shift toggle switch
   

1. The interface will expand to display tier configuration options
   

Configuring the First Tier

5. Keep Previous Tier Open - Select this checkbox if you want personnel from this tier to continue seeing the opportunity even after subsequent tiers activate. Leave unchecked to close this tier when the next tier begins
   

5. Deadline Date and Time - Set when this tier's exclusive access period ends and the next tier begins (or when the call shift closes if this is the final tier)
   

5. Ignore Availability - This allows you to ignore any Unavailability entered into the My Shifts Calendar
   

5. Add a Qualifier - Click to apply additional qualification filters specific to this tier (optional, as the call shift already has a base qualifier)
   
6. Advanced Options (optional) - Click to expand filtering capabilities:
   • Group - Limit this tier to specific organizational groups
   • Rank - Filter by personnel rank or position
   • Rotations - Specify shift rotation assignments (e.g., A-shift, B-shift)
   • Shifts - Target specific shift schedules (e.g., 24/48, 48/96)
   • Districts - Restrict to personnel assigned to particular districts or response areas
     

Adding Additional Tiers

9. Click Add Tier to create a second notification level
   

9. Repeat steps 5-8 for each additional tier, adjusting qualifiers and filters to define the appropriate personnel group
10. Continue adding tiers as needed, up to a maximum of five total tiers
    

Finalizing the Tiered Call Shift

12. Review all tier configurations to ensure proper sequence and timing
13. Verify that deadline dates and times progress logically (each tier should end before or when the next begins)
14. Confirm that qualification filters appropriately narrow the personnel pool for each tier
15. Save or activate the call shift to begin the tiered notification process

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: What happens if no one accepts during the first tier's deadline?
A: The system automatically advances to the next tier at the specified deadline time, expanding the opportunity to the personnel group defined in tier two. If "Keep Previous Tier Open" was enabled, the first tier personnel can still accept alongside the second tier.

Q: Why is my "Add Tier" button disabled?
A: The system limits tiered call shifts to a maximum of five tiers. If you've already created five tiers, you cannot add additional levels. Consider consolidating tiers or using broader qualification filters to accommodate more personnel within the five-tier limit.

Q: What happens if I forget to set a deadline for a tier?
A: Each tier requires a deadline date and time to function properly. The system will prompt you to set this before allowing the call shift to be saved or activated. Without deadlines, the automated progression through tiers cannot occur.

Q: Can personnel see which tier they're in?
A: Personnel typically see the call shift opportunity when their tier becomes active but may not see explicit tier designation. Transparency depends on your agency's configuration and how call shift notifications are presented in the mobile app or web interface.

Q: How do advanced filtering options interact with the base qualifier?
A: Advanced filters (Group, Rank, Rotations, Shifts, Districts) work in addition to both the call shift's base qualifier and any tier-specific qualifiers. Personnel must meet all applicable criteria to see the opportunity during that tier's active period.

Q: What if the same person qualifies for multiple tiers?
A: Personnel who qualify for multiple tiers will receive notification for each tier.