eBrigade Live availability module
Know in real time who can be called on, right now
Each member switches their status to Available, Unavailable or Absent in one click, and can declare themselves available until a precise time — the forced availability then expires on its own and restores the planned schedule. A badge in the side panel shows their status at all times, and you can see at a glance who can be called straight away.
These buttons are about the full eBrigade subscription: this module is included at no extra cost in every plan.
Illustration · sample data
What is eBrigade’s Live availability module?
Real-time availability status: each member sets themselves as Available, Unavailable or Absent in one click, with forced availability until a precise date and time and automatic expiry. A badge in the side panel shows at all times who can be called on. It is included at no extra cost in every eBrigade plan.
When it is time to dispatch, you do not know who can be reached
The planned schedule says who was supposed to be available this week, not who actually is at 6 pm on a Tuesday. A staff member who frees up for an hour, another who has to leave early, a third on leave: these last-minute changes never get through in time. The result: you phone people at random, call on people who have already left and lose precious minutes when you need to react fast.
A living status, kept up to date by each member, readable at a glance
Each member keeps their current status up to date themselves from the side panel: Available, Unavailable or Absent. When someone declares themselves available until 8 pm, their slot is forced onto their actual availability and then unlocks automatically at the set time, with no intervention. Absence (leave, sickness) takes precedence and switches the badge to “Absent” without having to enter it twice. You get a reliable, instant snapshot of the force you can call on.
What you can do with Live availability
Available, Unavailable or Absent: each member sets their current status from the side panel. Absence, calculated from leave and sick leave in progress on the current date, takes priority and switches the badge to “Absent” without double entry.
The member declares themselves available for a duration (X hours/minutes) or until a precise date and time. eBrigade writes a forced slot onto their actual availability, in period mode as well as in minute-level mode, and displays it as “Until DD/MM at HH:MM”.
At the deadline, the forced slot is removed on its own: the planned schedule that had been hidden is restored and slots added on the fly are deleted. No original availability data is lost, and a reset button remains available at any time.
A coloured badge (available, unavailable, absent) accompanies each member and refreshes immediately after every change, without reloading the page. You always know who can be called on.
Live availability builds on your existing settings: in period mode it acts on the day’s slots; in minute-level mode it inserts a precise slot linked to the right section and to all event types, seamlessly.
Designed to answer the only question that matters when it is time to act — “who can be called now?” — it complements the planned schedule with a live view of the force actually available at any given moment.
Step by step
An administrator switches the feature on from the settings. The availability status then appears for all members in the side panel, consistent with your organisation’s availability mode (by periods or minute-level).
From their own area, the member flips the Available / Unavailable switch. If they wish, they set a duration (“available for 2 hours”, “until 8 pm”): eBrigade forces their availability slots over the chosen time range. An absence in progress automatically switches the badge to “Absent”.
You read everyone’s status in real time through their badge. Forced availability unlocks on its own at the set deadline and restores the hidden planned schedule; each member can also reset it at any time in one click. No actual availability is lost in the process.
Where this module really pays off
Fire and rescue services (SDIS) & firefighters: during a reinforcement or a peak in activity, each volunteer indicates in one click whether they can be called on within the hour and until when, which avoids calling those already committed elsewhere.
Civil protection & rescue associations: before a deployment, volunteers set their status to “Available until 11 pm”; the forced slot expires on its own at the end of the mission and their usual planned schedule returns.
Civil protection & reserves: a manager immediately sees, from the badge, who can be reached now without chasing everyone by message.
Patient transport & ambulance crews: a crew member who frees up between two interventions declares themselves available again for the rest of the day, and automatically becomes unavailable again at the set time.
Outreach rounds & social action: volunteers signal their evening availability with a single tap, and those on leave appear as “Absent” without double entry.
Private security & events: when filling a last-minute position, you see in real time who can be called on rather than starting from the week’s theoretical schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How does Live availability differ from Minute-level availability?
Minute-level availability is used to declare your slots in advance on a calendar, to prepare shifts and on-call duty. Live availability answers a different question: who can be called on now. The member switches their status in one click and can force themselves available until a given time; the two work together, with Live availability building on the planned schedule and restoring it on expiry.
What happens to my availability schedule when I force myself available or unavailable?
Nothing is lost. The forced slot is placed on top of your actual availability; any planned schedule it hides is kept and automatically restored on unlocking, whether this is triggered by the deadline, by you or by automatic expiry.
Does forced availability really switch itself off?
Yes. You set an end (“for 2 hours”, “until 8 pm”) and, at the set time, the system removes the forced flag and restores your planned status. A manual one-click unlock remains possible at any time if you change your mind before the deadline.
Is the “Absent” status updated automatically?
Yes. If an absence (leave, sick leave, unavailability) covers the current day, the badge switches to “Absent” as a priority, without the member having to enter it. The status thus stays consistent with absences already recorded.
Who switches this feature on, and is it included?
Live availability is a native eBrigade feature, included, with no paid option. An administrator switches it on with a toggle in the settings; it then appears for all members and adapts automatically to your availability mode (periods or minute-level).
Can the manager see everyone’s status in real time?
Each member has an availability badge that updates instantly after every change. You therefore get an immediate reading of who is available, unavailable or absent at the moment you need to dispatch or complete a team.