Incident response

Covering and swapping shifts

Request cover or exchange a shift with another eligible responder from the mobile app.

Responders can request one-way cover or offer a two-way shift swap from Status → Shifts and cover. Nothing changes until an eligible responder accepts.

Cover and swap are different

Cover is a one-way handoff. Craig can ask Alicia to take Craig’s shift. If Alicia accepts, she receives that shift and Craig receives nothing in return.

Swap is a two-way exchange. Craig can offer his Monday shift in exchange for Alicia’s Tuesday shift. If Alicia accepts, both shifts move together.

Both actions operate inside one schedule. If Craig is the only responder in that schedule, Cover has nobody to ask and Swap has nobody to exchange with. An administrator must add another responder to the schedule before either action can work. Being a responder elsewhere in the workspace is not enough; the person must be eligible for the schedule containing the shift.

Before you begin

Both responders need an authorized WarnFire build installed and signed in . The requester must have a current or upcoming shift on an enabled schedule with another eligible responder assigned to that same schedule.

The mobile app explains an unavailable action in place. Common reasons are:

• the schedule has no other responder;
• there is no eligible future shift to exchange;
• a request for that shift is already pending;
• the shift or schedule changed after the screen loaded; or
• the requested window is no longer eligible.

Request cover

Use cover when another responder should take your shift without receiving one of theirs in return.

1. Find the current or upcoming shift under Shifts and cover.
2. Tap Cover.
3. Select an eligible responder assigned to the same schedule. The candidate can belong to a different rotation layer in that schedule.
4. Add an optional explanation.
5. Send the request.

WarnFire sends the request to the selected responder. A person marked as away may still be listed, with the time-off reason shown, so you can make an informed choice.

Until the responder accepts, you retain the shift and remain responsible for its pages.

Offer a shift swap

Use a swap when you want to exchange your shift for a team shift held by another responder.

1. Tap Swap beside your shift.
2. Choose an eligible team shift in the next two weeks.
3. Add an optional explanation.
4. Tap Send swap offer.

WarnFire notifies every valid responder assigned to the selected counter-shift. The first valid acceptance wins. Acceptance exchanges both shift windows atomically: either both overrides are created or neither is.

If the form has no eligible counter-shifts or recipients, Send swap offer is unavailable. Open View schedule to review the calendar or ask an administrator to check the rotation.

Current-shift requests

You can request cover or a swap while you are on call. Only the remaining portion of the current shift moves; elapsed coverage is never rewritten.

Incidents already open keep the paging plan captured when they opened. The new coverage applies to incidents opened after the accepted handoff.

Accept, decline, or withdraw

Incoming requests appear under Shifts and cover:

• Accept moves the offered coverage. WarnFire rechecks the live schedule before creating the override.
• Decline leaves both schedules unchanged and notifies the requester.
• Withdraw lets the requester close a still-pending request.

WarnFire locks an acceptance while it is processed, preventing two responders from completing the same request. A second pending request for the same schedule, window, and recipient is also blocked. The same window can be offered to a different recipient as a separate request.

If the schedule changed after the request was sent, an invalid acceptance fails instead of applying coverage to the wrong window.

Expiration

An unanswered request expires when the offered shift ends. Until then, the original holders retain their shifts. Expiration never changes coverage silently.

What administrators see

The web console shows requests with the schedule records under On-call → Schedules. Administrators can inspect the requester, target, window, and result, or withdraw a stale pending request.

Verify it worked

1. After sending the request, confirm that it appears as pending under Shifts and cover and that the original responder still owns the shift.
2. On the recipient’s device, confirm that the request shows the correct schedule and coverage window.
3. Accept the request and confirm that both devices show the completed result.
4. Open the schedule and confirm that the accepted coverage appears for the intended window. For a swap, confirm both exchanged windows.

Next step

Use time off when one person’s unavailability should affect every rotation. Use a schedule override when an administrator must assign a specific replacement directly.