At Tablet Command, we believe information should move as fast as your response. That’s why we developed Incident Sharing- a feature designed to enhance situational awareness and coordination across agencies. It’s built to keep everyone aligned- before, during, and after the call.

After the success of Shared AVL, we set out to bring even more real-time collaboration to the field. Incident Sharing has since been adopted by agencies across the country and continues to prove its value in high-stakes environments- most notably during the Los Angeles fires, where it delivered critical insights within hours of activation.

The Problem: Information Gaps in Mutual Aid Responses

In most jurisdictions, assigned units have access to full incident data through their MDTs or CAD-connected devices. But when mutual or automatic aid units are dispatched, they often receive only basic details- address, call type, and a radio channel. As they respond, they rely on radio transmissions within range to stay updated.

This creates a “fog of war” scenario for both responding crews and command staff. These units may miss key updates- like safety hazards or tactical changes- simply because they’re not yet on the tactical channel or aren’t receiving CAD updates from the originating agency.

Examples from the Field:

• A unit responds to an incident aid but hasn’t received updates indicating that the patient is now combative, they need to stage, or that power lines are down- putting the crew at risk.
  
  
• A structure fire escalates and mutual aid is requested. Still, incoming units are not included in the safety message and miss vital information- because they have not switched over to the appropriate channel yet.
  
  
• Responders may arrive without key updates- missing critical changes to incident conditions, unit assignments, or known hazards.
  
  

The Solution: Seamless Incident Sharing

With Incident Sharing, agencies using Tablet Command can securely and selectively share incident data with neighboring jurisdictions- even before units are officially requested. This empowers mutual aid resources to respond faster, safer, and better prepared.

What It Delivers:

• Shared situational awareness before arriving on scene
• Faster and more confident tactical decisions
• Improved safety for mutual aid units
• Better coordination between dispatch, command, and field units

Tablet Command’s secure, customer-specific architecture now supports real-time data sharing between agencies. Sharing can be triggered by:

• Incident Type (e.g., structure fire, cardiac arrest, wildland fire)
• Unit Assignment (e.g., when a neighboring agency’s unit is added to the call)
• Or both

Data Shared Includes:

• Address, call type, and incident number
• Call times and unit assignments
• Caller phone number (if available)
• Up to 10 prior incidents at the location
• Incident comments
• Incident management activity

Incident Sharing isn’t just for when units are assigned. It can proactively increase readiness by alerting adjacent agencies to potential involvement. For example:

• By Call Type: Share working incidents like wildland fires or cardiac arrests with law enforcement for situational awareness.
• By Location: Automatically share incidents that fall within a geofenced mutual aid zone.
• By Alarm Level: Automatically share incidents that escalate to a specific alarm threshold.
• In short: Share what matters, when it matters.
  
  

Communications Centers Remain in Control

This feature doesn’t replace or bypass CAD-to-CAD or verbal requests between communications centers. Incident Sharing is an enhancement- it gives leadership and responders visibility earlier in the process, allowing them to anticipate assignments, reposition resources, or respond quicker when the call comes in.

The result: better-informed decisions, made earlier.

Getting Started

To turn on Incident Sharing, agencies simply need to complete a Data Sharing Addendum that identifies who they want to share with. If you're ready to expand visibility and coordination across jurisdictions, schedule some time to get started.