Training Setup: Notifications
Purpose Statement
The Training Module Notifications section enables administrators to configure automated alerts and reminders for various training-related events. This feature ensures that personnel, instructors, and administrators stay informed about training assignments, deadlines, expirations, and approvals, improving compliance and reducing missed training opportunities.
Background Information
Automated notifications are critical for maintaining training compliance and operational readiness in Fire/EMS departments. The notification system helps track overdue training, upcoming certifications, instructor assignments, and approval workflows. By configuring these notifications properly, departments can proactively manage training requirements, reduce administrative burden, and ensure personnel maintain current certifications. The system integrates with the scheduling module and provides flexible delivery options to accommodate different departmental communication preferences.
Required Permissions
- Manage Settings--Allows User to access the Settings, Notification, List Configuration and Instructor Management sections of Training Setup.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
- Navigate to Training > Setup > Notifications.
- Each notification type is listed with customizable options.
- Training is overdue
- Assigned a self-complete class as an instructor
- Assigned a class as an instructor
- Upcoming training
- Certification has expired
- Self-complete training is about to end
- Certification about to expire
- Assigned courses about to expire
- Class submitted for approval
- Each notification can be delivered via:
- System Notification only (visible by clicking the bell icon in First Due), or
- System Notification and Email
- Use the radio buttons next to each type of notification to choose the delivery method.
Tip: If the Scheduling Module is active, use filters (e.g., station, rank) to quickly narrow user lists.- Click inside the Send Notification to field within the notification type.
- A search and filter panel appears at the top (uses fields available in the Scheduling Module if this module is being utilized).
- You can also:
- Search by name in the Available and Selected lists.
- Scroll manually to locate users.
- Click users on the "Available" side to add them.
- Click users on the "Selected" side to remove them.
- Click Save after making recipient changes.
- For applicable notification types, you can also notify the user assigned to the class by checking the corresponding box.
- Training is overdue – set number of days after the due date to trigger notification.
- Upcoming training – set number of days in advance to notify users.
- Self-complete training about to end, Certification about to expire, and Assigned course about to expire – set number of days prior to expiration for alert delivery.
Best Practices
Do's
- Configure notifications for all critical training events
- Include both system administrators and relevant supervisors as recipients
- Test notification timing to ensure adequate advance notice
- Use both email and system notifications for critical alerts
- Regularly review and update recipient lists as personnel change
- Set overdue training notifications to align with compliance requirements
Don'ts
- Don't set notification timing too close to deadlines, preventing adequate response time
- Don't overwhelm users with excessive notifications for non-critical events
- Don't forget to include the affected user in assignment notifications
- Don't rely solely on system notifications if users don't regularly check the system
- Don't configure notifications without considering shift schedules and availability
Tips & Recommendations
- Coordinate notification timing with your department's training schedule
- Consider different notification timing for different types of training (emergency vs. administrative)
- Use the scheduling module filters to target notifications to appropriate personnel
- Document your notification configuration decisions for consistency
- Review notification effectiveness regularly and adjust timing as needed
- Ensure email addresses are current and monitored by recipients
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Q: Why aren't some users receiving email notifications?
A: Check that users have valid email addresses in their profiles and that email notifications are enabled for the specific notification type.
Q: Can I send different notifications to different user groups?
A: Yes, each notification type allows you to select specific recipients, so you can customize who receives each type of alert.
Q: What happens if the scheduling module isn't being used?
A: The search and filter options will be limited, but you can still search by name and scroll through the personnel list to select recipients.
Q: How do I know if notifications are being delivered successfully?
A: Monitor the system notification bell icon and check with recipients to confirm email delivery. Consider testing with a small group first.
Q: Can users opt out of certain notifications?
A: Notification preferences are managed at the administrator level. Users cannot individually opt out, but administrators can remove specific users from notification lists.
Q: What's the difference between "certification expired" and "certification about to expire"?
A: "About to expire" is a proactive warning sent before expiration, while "expired" is sent after the certification has already expired.
Related Articles
- Training Setup: Settings
- Training Setup: Categories
- Training Setup: Topics
- Training Setup: Objectives
- Training Setup: List Configuration
- Training Setup: Standards
- Training Setup: Courses
- Training Setup: Field Management
- Training Setup: Class Import
- Training Setup: Instructor Management
- Importing Training Objectives
- Training- Enabling the Payroll Summary Grid
- How to Pin a Course by user
- Training Module Setup: Adding a Location
- Training: Creating New Training Methods
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