In-App Chat, How-To

Accessing IamResponding Chat

On the left-hand menu, scroll down and select Chats.

Joining a Chat Room

• Joining a Chat Room:
  • To participate, you must be invited to a chat room by a Chat Admin or Someone Permitted to Create a New Chat. Only those with permission to Create a Chat enabled in their member profile can create a brand new chat room.
  • Chat rooms typically are organized by groups such as Active Membership or General Membership, ETC. Chats can be named by the creator. 
     
• Entering a Chat Room:
  • Click on the chat room name to launch it and begin participating.

Messaging and Interaction Features

• Send Messages:
  • Type text messages directly into the input field, similar to other messaging apps.
• Voice Notes:
  • Use the microphone icon to record and send voice messages.
• Attachments:
  • Click the paperclip icon to attach and share files or documents.

Chatroom Notification and Ringtone Settings

• Accessing Settings:
  In the chat room, click the gear icon at the top-right corner.
• Send me Notifications:
  • Choose to receive all notifications or only when tagged with “@yourname.”
  • Disable notifications entirely if desired.
• Ringtones:
  • Select a ringtone from available options for incoming messages.
  • These tones are designed to be less intrusive compared to emergency alerts and can be unique for each chat room.
• Favorites:
  • Mark important chats as Favorites using the star icon located on the top right.  
  • Favorited chats appear at the top of your chat list for easy access.
• See Participants
  • You are able to see who else is in this chat room and who the chat admins are
• Leaving a Chat Room:
  • You are able to leave a Chat room at any time, once you have left, a Chat Admin or Administrator is the only person able to re-add you into the chat room.

Creating a New Chat

Creating a new chat in IamResponding is a feature available only to users with administrative permissions.

•  
  • Select Create Chat Option:
    • on the chat home screen, to create a new chat select the create chat button in the top right  
       
  • Name the Chat Room:
    • Enter a descriptive name for the chat room that reflects its purpose.
      • Example: Active Membership, Emergency Coordination, or Training Updates.
         
  • Add Participants:
    • Select members to invite into the chat.
    • You can add users by typing their names or selecting them from a list of available agency members. You are also able to add members by established groups or a combination of both
    • Once you have choses the appropriate members, select OK, You will then enter the chat room. 

Add Members, Leave & End Existing Chat 

Adding Members to an existing Chat Room in IamResponding is a feature available only to users with administrative permissions to in Chat Admins. 

•  
  • Add Members to an existing Chat Room
    • Locate and select the chat room you wish to add members
    • When in the appropriate chat room from select the Chat room settings icon
    • When in the Chart Rooms Settings Select the Add members function you will be able to add additional members/groups as needed similar to when you initially created the chat room.
    •  

  • Leave and End Chat
     

    • Leave Chat will only remove yourself from the chat, the chat room will continue, once you Leave a Chat you need to be invited from someone within the Chat Regardless of Admin Status
    • End Chat will End the Chat Room for all participants 

     

Removing Participants & Assigning Chat Admins

Removing Participants from a Chat Room in IamResponding or Assigning Chat admins requires higher level of permission than a basic user

•  

  • Removing Members from a Chat Room

    1. Locate the Member:
       • Open the chat room and find the participant you want to remove.
    2. Remove the Member:
       • Select Remove Member from the options.
    3. Note:
       • Removed members cannot rejoin the chat unless re-invited by a System Admin or Chat Room Admin.
    •  

  • Assigning Chat Admins

    1. Locate the Member:
       • Open the chat room and find the participant you want to assign as an admin.
    2. Set as Chat Admin:
       • Select Set as Chat Admin from the options.
    3. Admin Capabilities:
       • Chat Admins can:
         • Add or remove members in that specific chat room.
       • Chat Admins cannot create new chats.

Additional Trouble Shooting Steps

1. A member was added to a group but can't see the chat.
   • Verify that the correct members are included by navigating to Manage Groups, selecting the appropriate group, and checking the listed members.
   • Ensure the member's device settings allow them to receive chat notifications.
2. The chat appears frozen or members aren’t receiving messages.
   • Check the affected member’s Member Profile to ensure their device information is up to date.
   • Encourage the member to close and reopen the app or log out and back in to refresh their chat access.
3. Best Practices for Managing Chat Groups:
   • Regularly close and restart chats (e.g., once a month) to remove inactive members and ensure all new members are included.
   • Use a consistent naming convention like "Group Name Fire 1/1/24" and update it sequentially (e.g., "Fire 2/1/24") to maintain organization.

By following these steps, you can keep group chats running smoothly and ensure all members receive important messages.