Navigating the map

Pan: Click and drag anywhere on the map to move around.

Zoom: Use your mouse scroll wheel, pinch on touchscreens, or the +/- buttons on the map.

Clicking a marker

Each colored pin on the map represents one emergency call. Click any pin to:

• See a brief popup with the incident type, address, and time
• Open the sidebar on the right with full call details

Sidebar details

The sidebar shows everything we know about a call:

• Date and time — when the call was dispatched
• Address — the reported location (may be approximate)
• System — which radio system handled the call
• Talkgroup — the radio channel the dispatch was on
• Duration — how long the radio transmission was
• Transcript — the full text of what was said (if transcribed)
• Audio — a play button to listen to the original dispatch audio (if available)

Permalinks

When you click a call, the URL in your browser updates to include ?call=123. You can copy and share this link — anyone who opens it will see the same call.

My Location

Click the My location button (crosshair icon) to center the map on your current GPS position. You may need to grant location permission in your browser.

Time range

The dropdown at the top lets you choose how far back to look:

• Past 3 Hours — recent active incidents
• Past 6 / 12 / 24 Hours — default ranges for daily review
• Past 48 / 72 Hours — wider view for analysis

Radio system

If multiple fire/EMS agencies are monitored, you can filter to show only one system (e.g., "Renfrew County Fire").

Tone triggers

Select one or more tone triggers to filter calls by dispatch station or agency. The dropdown updates based on the selected radio system. Useful for tracking specific stations like "FIRE - Deep River" or "EMS - Pembroke Base".

Incident type filters

The colored checkboxes below the top bar let you show or hide specific incident types:

• Fire — structure fires, vehicle fires, grass fires
• Medical — EMS calls, medical emergencies
• Traffic — motor vehicle collisions
• Rescue — water rescue, extrication, search and rescue
• Utilities — hydro lines down, gas leaks
• HazMat — hazardous materials incidents
• Other — everything else

Address search

Click the magnifying glass icon to search for a specific address or place name. The map will pan to that location so you can see nearby calls.

What is Live Feed mode?

Live Feed focuses the map on only the single most recent call. Instead of showing all calls in a time range, it automatically follows the newest dispatch as it comes in.

When to use it

• In an operations center where you want a screen to always show the latest active incident
• When monitoring ongoing incidents and you only care about the newest one
• For training or demos where you want a clear, uncluttered view

How it works

• Click All Calls → it switches to Live Feed
• The map clears all other markers and shows only the latest call
• When a new call arrives, the old marker disappears and the map immediately pans to the new one
• The sidebar automatically opens with the new call's details
• A red LIVE FEED badge pulses in the top bar

Switching back

Click Live Feed again to return to All Calls mode. The map will then show all calls in your selected time range.

The notifications bell

The Notifications panel tracks new calls that arrive while you have the map open. It does not show historical calls — only arrivals since you loaded the page.

How to use it

• Click the bell icon in the top bar to open the panel
• A red badge on the bell shows how many unread notifications you have
• Each notification shows: time, incident type, address, and system
• Click any notification to pan to that call and open its details
• Unread items have a blue left border
• Click the checkmark icon to mark all as read
• Click the clear icon to remove all notifications

Desktop notifications

If you grant permission, your browser can show desktop popup notifications even when the map tab is in the background. These look like system notifications and help you notice new dispatches without keeping the map visible.

To enable: click anywhere on the map once, and your browser will ask for notification permission. Click Allow.

Listening to dispatch audio

When you click a call and open the sidebar, an audio player appears below the transcript (if audio is available). Click Play to hear the original radio transmission.

Audio may not be available for all calls

Audio recording depends on the radio system setup. Some systems record all transmissions, others do not. If there's no audio player in the sidebar, that call was not recorded.

Mute toggle

Click the speaker icon in the top bar to mute or unmute the notification chime that plays when new calls arrive. Your preference is saved in the browser.

Why didn't I hear a sound?

• Browser autoplay policy: Most browsers block audio until you interact with the page. Click anywhere on the map first, then sounds should work.
• Muted: Check that the speaker icon in the top bar is not crossed out.
• Volume: Check your system and browser volume levels.
• Mobile: Some mobile browsers require the phone to not be in silent mode.

Marker colors

Each incident type has its own color so you can identify calls at a glance:

Age-based opacity

Newer calls appear brighter and bolder. Older calls (approaching 72 hours) become more transparent. This helps you spot active incidents at a glance.

Corrected locations

Calls with a manually corrected location show a gold "Corrected" badge in the sidebar. These have been reviewed by dispatch staff for accuracy.

What is the Test button?

The Test button (lightning bolt icon) injects a fake fire call at a random location near Renfrew County. It triggers the full alert chain so you can verify the map is working without waiting for a real dispatch.

What happens when I click Test?

1. A yellow "TEST" marker appears on the map with a pulsing dashed border
2. A toast notification appears in the top-right
3. The notification chime plays (if not muted)
4. The map pans to the test location
5. The sidebar opens with fake call details
6. The call is logged in the notifications panel

How long does it last?

Test calls auto-delete after 30 seconds. This keeps the map clean and ensures test data doesn't persist. You can also close the sidebar manually at any time.

Keyboard shortcuts

Press these keys anywhere on the map (not while typing in a text field):

Data flow

This public map is a separate read-only service that connects to the iCAD Dispatch database. It cannot write or modify any data. The map app polls for new calls every 5 seconds and pushes them to browsers via WebSocket.

Auto-geocoding limitations

Call locations are determined by:

1. Manual corrections (highest priority) — set via the iCAD dashboard Map Corrections page
2. Automatic geocoding — the system extracts addresses from transcripts and geocodes them using Google Maps
3. No location — some calls cannot be geocoded and appear only in the call list with no map marker

Accuracy

Auto-geocoding is approximate. Addresses spoken in radio traffic may be unclear, incomplete, or refer to intersections rather than exact building addresses. Always verify critical locations through official channels.

Corrections

If you see a call in the wrong location, use the iCAD dashboard → Map Corrections page to drag the pin to the correct spot. The public map updates instantly for all viewers.

Audio retention

Audio files are stored on disk and served directly. Their retention depends on the iCAD system storage configuration. Not all systems record audio.

The map is not updating

• Check the Live badge in the top-left. If it says OFFLINE, the WebSocket connection is lost. The map will retry automatically.
• Try refreshing the page.
• Check your internet connection.

No audio when I click Play

• Not all calls have audio recordings. If there's no audio player in the sidebar, audio was not captured.
• Check your browser volume and mute settings.
• Some browsers block audio autoplay. Click anywhere on the map first, then try again.

A call is in the wrong location

This happens when automatic geocoding misinterprets the address. Dispatch staff can correct it using the Map Corrections page in the iCAD dashboard.

The notification chime doesn't play

• Click the map once to satisfy browser autoplay policies.
• Make sure the speaker icon in the top bar is not muted.
• Check your system volume.

Markers are stacking on top of each other

Multiple calls can occur at the same address (e.g., a structure fire with multiple tone hits). Zoom in to see individual pins, or switch to Heatmap mode to see call density.

Mobile issues

• The map is optimized for desktop/tablet. On small phones, the sidebar becomes a bottom sheet.
• Audio may not play if your phone is in silent mode.
• Notifications may not appear if your browser blocks them.

Something else?

If you encounter a bug or have a feature request, contact the system administrator. Include your browser, what you were doing, and what you expected to happen.