Life of an Incident
An incident is not a screen. It is a record that grows for as long as the event runs - and stays afterwards.
Every incident in REDENES passes through the same broad stages, whether it lasts eight minutes or eight hours. This page follows one from creation to closure and names the screens and records involved at each step, so you know where you are and what is expected of you.
The Stages
| Stage | What is happening | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| Created | The incident record exists with its core details | Nothing yet, unless you created it |
| Dispatched | Resources are assigned and alerts have gone out | Acknowledge and respond |
| Active | Units are working the event; the clock is running | Report, communicate, update |
| Command | A command structure is in place | Work your assignment; command tracks you |
| Closed | The event is resolved and the clock has stopped | Finish your paperwork |
Stage 1: Creation
An incident starts either from dispatch or from someone in the field.
If you have the add permission for the tool, you can create one yourself:
- Open the Incidents List.
- Tap the Add button.
- Fill in the details - name, type, location, and any fields your agency requires.
- Save. The incident appears in the active list with its timer running.
The record created here carries the incident number, type, district, address, and operational period that appear in every header from now on. You can correct the name later on Edit Incident Name.
If you do not see an Add button, your account does not have the add permission for that tool. That is a configuration choice, not a fault - see Agencies, Roles & Permissions.
Stage 2: Dispatch
Once resources are attached, alerts go out. What reaches you depends on your duty status and your alert rules, which is covered in How Notifications Reach You.
| What arrives | Where it lands |
|---|---|
| A push notification | Your lock screen, at the level you configured |
| An entry in your alerts | Notifications |
| A badge | The Alerts tab and the relevant tiles |
| The incident itself | The active view of the Incidents List |
An active incident shows a live timer counting up from the moment it began. If that clock looks wrong to you, say so early - it anchors the whole timeline of the event.
Stage 3: Active Response
This is where most of the work happens. Opening the incident gives you the four-tab workspace described in Incident Overview.
| Tab | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Info | Read the record, the structured view, and the history |
| Comms | Incident-specific messages, audio, and phone |
| Maps | Positions, directions, drawings, and tracks |
| Additional | Checklists, personnel, and notes |
Each tab carries its own unread badge, so new activity is visible without opening everything. Opening a sub-tab marks its new items as read.
Things that commonly happen during this stage:
| Action | Screen |
|---|---|
| Attach or review a map | Maps Tab and Saved Maps |
| Log an observation | Command Notes |
| Check a forecast for the scene | Command Weather Forecast |
| Photograph or stream the scene | Photo Gallery and Scene Stream |
| Fill in an agency form | See Why Some Screens Look Different |
Stage 4: Command
When the event needs structure rather than conversation, someone establishes command and the Command View becomes the working screen. It puts a command board in the centre, a tools menu down the side, and the familiar tabs across the top.
| Command element | What it holds | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Command board | Units, tasks, positions, and unallocated resources | Command View |
| Board views | Structured, command, timeline, and planning views | Incident Side Menu |
| Accountability | Head-count checks of everyone on scene | Personnel Accountability |
| Resources | What is assigned and what is available | Command Resources |
| Timers | Work cycles, air time, and benchmarks | Command Timers |
| Timeline | An ordered record of what happened when | Command Timeline |
| Audio | Channel control from inside command | Command Audio Hub |
| Units and tasks | Assignment, splitting, and unit detail | Tasks & Units |
| Certifications | Who on scene is qualified for what | Command Certifications |
Command also owns time in two ways: the header timer shows total elapsed time for the incident, while the start and stop control runs a separate local timer for the period you are tracking.
Editing the command structure needs the right permission. If Edit is unavailable, you have view-only access to the board - you can read the structure and work your assignment, but you cannot rearrange it.
Stage 5: Closure
Closing an incident changes it from a live event into a record.
| Before closure | After closure |
|---|---|
| Appears in the active view | Appears in the closed view |
| Timer counts up live | Shows a fixed total duration |
| Board and tabs are being worked | Preserved as they were left |
| Alerts may still be generated | The event is settled |
What should be finished before you close:
- A final accountability check, if your agency requires one.
- Notes and timeline entries for anything not yet recorded.
- Forms, checklists, and reports completed and saved.
- Signatures captured where required - see Incident Signature.
- Maps and shapes saved if they should outlive the event - see Map Shapes & Objects.
- Anything queued offline actually sent - see How Your Data Updates.
The closed view is not an archive you can quietly tidy up later. Whatever was recorded - or not recorded - is what the incident will say afterwards. Finish the paperwork while the detail is fresh.
What the Incident Leaves Behind
| Record | Where it lives afterwards |
|---|---|
| The incident record and history | The closed view of the Incidents List |
| The conversation | The incident's Comms Tab |
| The command structure and timeline | Command Timeline |
| Accountability checks | Personnel Accountability |
| Forms, checklists, and reports | Your agency's log and reference modules |
| Maps and shapes | Saved Maps |
| Photos and documents | Photo Gallery and PDF Generator |
| Tracks and position history | GPS History |
If you will need to share the event afterwards, the command Share option and Share Data are the usual routes, and PDF Generator produces something you can hand over.
Mutual Aid Incidents
When you are assisting another agency, you may reach an incident by signing in with its Incident ID rather than joining the agency. The lifecycle is the same, but your view is scoped to that one event. See Agencies, Roles & Permissions.
Related Pages
- Incidents List
- Incident Overview
- Command View
- Personnel Accountability
- Command Timeline
- Choosing How to Communicate
⬅️ Previous: Devices & Sessions | Next: Choosing How to Communicate ➡️