Transferring the required checkbox from Field Management to a Workflow

Transferring the required checkbox from Field Management to a Workflow

Purpose Statement

This article explains how to transition from using the legacy Required checkbox within Field Management to using Workflows to enforce required fields in Fire Incident reports. This shift provides more flexibility, allowing administrators to create conditions that determine when a field must be completed.

Background Information

The previous Required option within Custom Fields Management and Custom Questions Management is being removed. Required behavior must now be configured through Error Validation Workflows within Fire Incident Setup.
Workflows offer enhanced control, enabling administrators to specify conditions, and additional parameters that determine when a field becomes required during incident documentation.
Common use cases include:
  • Making a field required only when it is left empty
  • Requiring fields based on selected Parameters
  • Enforcing required Custom Questions based on workflow conditions

Required Permissions

To perform the actions in this article, users must have permissions that allow them to:
  • Fire Incident Setup – Allow
  • Incident Access & Management
    • Incidents
      • Read
      • Update
      • Create

Video


Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to Field Management
  1. Go to Incident Documentation > Fire Incident Setup > Field Management.


Begin by navigating to Incident Documentation, Fire Incident Setup and selecting Field Management.



2. Locate and Edit the Field or Question
  1. In Custom Fields Management or Custom Questions Management, find the field that previously had the Required option enabled.
  2. Select the pencil icon to edit.





3. Note the Removal of the Required Option
  1. Inside the editor, the Required option will be no longer available.
  2. To make this field required, you will now create a workflow.


After selecting the pencil icon you will see the Required option, this will no longer be available. To make this field required we will create a workflow.



4. Consider Incident-Type Specific Requirements
  1. If the field should only be required for certain Primary Incident Types, this will be configured through workflow conditions.


If you have this field required only for certain incident types we can also build workflows to reflect that.



5. Navigate to Workflows
  1. Go to Fire Incident Setup > Workflows.


Lets now navigate to the Workflows found within Fire Incident Setup.



6. Create or Edit a Workflow
  1. Select + Add New to create a new workflow.
  2. If you already have workflows for this field, locate the existing workflow in the list and select the pencil icon to edit.





7. Create an Error Validation Workflow
  1. Configure the workflow as follows:
    • Select the Field from the dropdown
    • Choose Error Validation Workflow
    • Enter a Description (internal use)
    • Enter a Validation Message (displayed to report authors when the field is required)
    • Select Add Condition to define when the field becomes required
  1. Example:
    Field: Shift
    Condition: When Shift is empty, require the field


When creating a workflow that you want a field required, we begin by selecting the Field within the dropdown. Select on Error Validation Workflow.



8. Add Additional Conditions (Optional)
  1. To require a field only under certain parameters, add multiple conditions using AND/OR logic.
  2. Example:
    • When Shift is empty
    • AND Primary Incident Type is in one of the selected values
  1. This ensures the field is only required when both conditions are met.


If you only require this field to be within certain parameters we can add additional conditions.



9. Test the Workflow – Basic Condition
  1. If only the “Shift is empty” condition is added, the Shift field becomes required anytime it is left empty.


Testing the workflow for when shift is empty with no other conditions, the Shift field is required.



10. Test the Workflow – Conditional Incident Types
  1. If a workflow requires the field only for certain incident types, the Shift field will not be required for other types.


In this example we are only requiring the shift field when certain Primary incident types are selected, notice the shift is not required.



11. Confirm Requirement When Conditions Are Met
  1. When a report meets the defined conditions and the field is empty, the system will flag the field as required.


But if we select on an incident that meets the condition then if the shift field is empty it becomes required.



12. Repeat the Process for Custom Questions
  1. Navigate to Custom Questions Management and select the pencil icon for each Custom Question that must be required.


We will also need to create workflows for any Custom Questions that are required.



13. Identify Question Requirement Behavior
  1. If a Custom Question must be required, a workflow must be created to enforce this.


Here is the indication if you are requiring the question to be completed within the report.



14. Create the Workflow for Custom Questions
  1. Return to Workflows.
  2. Select the Custom Question from the dropdown, choose Error Validation Workflow, and configure:
    • Description
    • Validation Message
    • Conditions that determine when the question is required


Navigate to workflows following step 6.



15. Validate Required Behavior in the Fire Report
  1. When conditions are met, the Custom Question will appear as required within the Fire Report.


From within the fire report when the condition is met the custom question field becomes required.

Best Practices

  • Use specific conditions to avoid making fields required when unnecessary
  • Keep Validation Messages clear so report authors understand what is missing
  • Test workflows 

Troubleshooting & FAQs

The field isn’t showing as required—why?
  • Check that the correct field is selected in the workflow
  • Verify that the conditions are being met within the report
  • Ensure no conflicting workflows exist for the same field
Can multiple workflows apply to the same field?
Yes, but it is best practice to combine related conditions into a single workflow to prevent overlap or confusion.

Do Custom Questions require separate workflows?
Yes. Each Custom Question you need to require must have its own Error Validation Workflow.



    • Related Articles

    • Fire Incident Setup - Workflows

      Purpose Statement The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the steps for creating and managing workflows for Fire documentation. Fire Incident workflows enable departments to customize form behavior through Hide, Default, and Error validation ...

    • Setting up the ePCR - Workflows

      Purpose Statement The EMS Workflow Conditions feature enables administrators to create dynamic, conditional logic within ePCR forms that automatically hide fields, set default values, or trigger validation warnings based on specific criteria. This ...

    • Fire Incident Setup - EMS Module - Configuration Fields

      Purpose Statement The Configuration Fields section of the Fire Incident EMS Module allows administrators to customize treatment and medication options to align with local protocols and operational standards. This feature enables departments to: ...

    • EMS Setup - Creating Custom Date/Time Questions for ePCR

      Purpose Statement This article demonstrates how agency administrators can create custom Date/Time questions within the EMS Setup to capture specific temporal data required for their documentation workflows. Custom Date/Time questions enable providers ...

    • EMS Setup - Creating Custom Other Questions for ePCR

      Purpose Statement The Custom Other Questions feature within EMS Setup allows administrators to create agency-specific alphanumeric text fields that capture additional information not covered by standard NEMSIS data elements. This functionality ...