Getting Started with the Severe Weather Shelter Scheduling Software

Transcription

1 Volume 3 HOMEBASE USER MANUAL Kitsap County Severe Weather Shelters Updated November 29, 2018 Getting Started with the Severe Weather Shelter Scheduling Software

2 Table of Contents About Homebase Scheduling Platform... 1 Getting Started using the Homebase Website... 3 To Join by Claiming Open Shifts... 4 Notification... 4 Logging In... 4 Open Shifts... 5 Pending Shifts... 6 Shift Approval/Denial... 6 Additional Requests for Coverage... 7 Shelter Activation... 7 Your Schedule... 8 By By Text Notification... 8 Viewing Your Schedule on the Website Dashboard... 9 Dropping a Shift Contacting the Site Manager Messaging Personal Settings Getting Started using the Homebase Mobile App Download the Mobile App Launch the Mobile App Skip Introductory Screens Claiming Open Shifts Notification Logging In Open Shifts Pending Shifts Shift Approval/Denial Additional Requests for Coverage Shelter Activation... 19

3 Your Schedule Viewing Your Schedule in the Mobile App By By Text Notification Dropping a Shift Contacting the Site Manager Personal Settings Notifications and Alerts Calendar Sync Messaging Frequently Asked Questions How can I reduce the number of notifications I receive? Why am I not seeing any s or getting notifications about staffing the shelter? How do I change my address or phone number? How do I change, add, or remove locations where I volunteer? I have accidentally scheduled a shift or have a schedule conflict, what do I do? Why don t I see any open shifts on the schedule to cover? How do I know if I am scheduled to work? Can I reply to the text message to take a shift? I set my availability, am I scheduled to work? I see two shifts available for the same location and time. Is this an error, which do I choose? What if I cannot work any of the open shifts? What if I have other questions about using Homebase?... 30

4 HOMEBASE USER MANUAL Part 1 About Homebase Scheduling Platform Thank you for volunteering to participate in the Kitsap County Severe Weather Shelter Program! We are using the platform Homebase to help schedule volunteers to cover shifts during shelter activations. Homebase is available as a web application, viewable in your computer s web browser, or as a mobile app for Apple and Android Phones. With this platform you can claim open shifts, volunteer to work at different locations, receive and SMS notifications, and receive reminders of shifts. The following pages of this guide will walk you through the process of accessing the site, claiming a shift, dropping shifts, and adjusting your notifications settings. You can find introductory videos on the using the Homebase website or mobile app for scheduling severe weather shelter shifts at: 1

5 Homebase has a library of Video Tutorials and A Frequently Asked Questions section. Video Tutorials - Frequently Asked Questions - 2

6 Getting Started using the Homebase Website Prior to the start of the Severe Weather Shelter (SWS) Season, you will receive an invitation to join Homebase by . This message will come from To Join by Open the title Your Manager has invited you to join Homebase Click the link Set your Password Your web browser will open a window that will ask you to create a password to access your account. Create a password, and re-type the password in the Password Confirmation field. Press the Set my Password link after typing a password for your account. After creating your account, you will automatically be redirected to your homepage. 3

7 Claiming Open Shifts Notification When Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management recommends based on weather criteria to activate the severe weather shelters, you will receive an titled: SWS {{Shelter Name}} New Schedule Published from Shelter Coordinator via Homebase Logging In You may open the link at the bottom of the labeled Sign In to Trade Shifts or go to the URL After entering your address and password you will be logged into your personal dashboard. 4

8 Open Shifts From your personal dashboard there are a couple steps you need to take to claim any open shifts. 1. If you work at multiple locations, select one location you would like to volunteer by selecting the name from the location menu in the top bar. If you only volunteer at one location skip to step Press the Open Shifts button. 3. To take an open shift press the Claim Shift button next to the date and time you would like to volunteer. Select shifts stating (Slot #1) and (Slot #2) unless you wish to fill another position, such as Backup Person, which is a volunteer on call if Shift Volunteers must drop a shift. Sign up for both (Slot #1) and (Slot #2) for shifts that you are available to work at the selected location Note that you may see 2 shifts with identical times in this menu. Each shift requires 2 volunteers to fully staff a shelter, so 2 shifts are displayed until a shift has been assigned. Sign up for both Slot 1 & 2. 5

9 Pending Shifts Once you claim a shift a request will be sent to your Site Manager. Your request will be Pending, you are not scheduled to work the shift until a Site Manager approves, denies your request, or assigns the shift to another volunteer. Shift Approval/Denial Once your shift requests have been submitted, schedulers will be assigning volunteers based on the shift requests they have received. The final schedule will be released at noon on the day of the activation.! During the process of assigning shifts, you may receive an titled You ve picked up another shift! or Bummer! The open shift you claimed was assigned to someone else Ignore these s, please follow the instructions in the Personal Settings section pg. 12 to disable these approved/denied notifications. See the Your Schedule section on pg. 8 for more information about your scheduled shifts. 6

10 Additional Requests for Coverage If by 9am and 10am there remain unfilled shifts you may receive additional requests for coverage by and mobile messaging if using the mobile app. If you can work any remaining shifts please sign up following steps 1-3 on Page 5 of this manual. If you receive notifications from other locations requesting volunteers, you may change your location (see step 1 on page 5) and claim available shifts by following the steps on page 5. Check your schedule first, read the Viewing Your Schedule on the Website Dashboard on pg. 9 to see if you have been scheduled for a shift before making claims at other locations. Shelter Activation The next step is to watch for additional notifications 11:30am-noon by about the shelter activation. If there are not enough volunteers scheduled, then the shelter may not be able to open. WHAT IF THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS SCHEDULED? In the event that there are not enough volunteers scheduled to work the shelter, the shelter cannot open. You may receive additional requests for coverage in the morning if there are not enough volunteers scheduled to work. You will receive an from Homebase between 11:30am-noon notifying you if the shelter will or will not activate. If the shelter does not activate and you are scheduled to work, you will receive an and/or text message from Homebase stating that there are schedule changes. Your shifts will be cleared from the schedule. Thank you for volunteering! 7

11 Your Schedule By At noon all volunteers will receive an titled SWS {{Location}} - New schedule published. You will receive a personalized schedule for the site you are volunteering. If you volunteer at multiple locations, you will receive an from each location. Assigned a shift Wednesday 5pm-10pm Not assigned a shift By Text Notification You will also receive a text message from Homebase at noon on the day when requests are sent with your schedule for each location you have volunteered to fill a shift. Assigned a shift Tu & W 5p-10p Not assigned a shift 8

12 Viewing Your Schedule on the Website Dashboard Your personal dashboard on your Homebase home page will display the shifts you have been selected to work, and the total hours you are scheduled to work during the week. Your Scheduled Shifts Your Total Scheduled Hours for the Week at the above Location 9

13 Dropping a Shift Contacting the Site Manager It is important that volunteers commit to keeping the shifts for which they have been scheduled, but emergencies, illnesses, and other events do happen which would make it impossible or hazardous to work a shift. 1. If you are unable to work your shift check the Schedule link in the purple navigation bar. 2. Look in the EVENTS row right under the date or week for the listed Site Manager. 3. You can click on the event to show the Site Manager s phone number. Call the Site Manager to ask them if they can help find cover for your shift. 10

14 Messaging Homebase includes functions to send messaging through the built-in messaging function of the website. We discourage use of the in-built messaging. If you need to contact Site Managers or other volunteers, please use your of phone to contact directly. Personal Settings You can change how and when you get Alerts and Notifications from Homebase. 1. To change your settings, select the Settings button in the purple navigation bar. 2. Personal Info a. Your name and the locations where you volunteer will be listed on your Personal Info page. If you need to change your address or phone number, please contact Michelle Moen at Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (360) or to update your information. b. If you wish to change, add, or drop your volunteer locations please contact the Shelter Coordinator Cory Derenburger at (360) or c. Your and phone number on Homebase will only be visible to Site Managers, other volunteers cannot see your personal information. 11

15 3. Alerts & Notifications a. You may change when and by what methods you receive notifications from Homebase. You can check or uncheck the corresponding boxes to enable or disable certain notifications. You may also adjust the number of hours prior to a shift to receive a SMS notification shift reminder. Recommended Settings: See below to reduce the number of notifications you receive and focus on the important notifications you need. b. Make sure to click the Save Changes button to save your changes. 12

16 Part 2 Getting Started using the Homebase Mobile App Prior to the start of the Severe Weather Shelter (SWS) Season, you will receive a text message invitation to join Homebase. Download the Mobile App To join by text message, open the text message title stating Hi, this is Homebase! and click the link to download the app. Alternatively, you may download the app from the following app stores: Apple App Store Google Play homebase Once downloaded, install the mobile application on your device using the Install link from the respective app stores. 13

17 Launch the Mobile App Once the installed on your device, use your device s menu or launcher to open the Homebase mobile app. You will be prompted to enter your address or phone number. Enter the address or phone number as requested and press the Next button. Enter your Skip Introductory Screens Once you proceed to the next steps you will see several introductory screens which will help aid in set-up of the app. These screens may be safely skipped. On the Say Hi screen, please do not click Send Message. Only press the Done link on this screen. 14

18 Claiming Open Shifts Notification When Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management recommends based on criteria to activate the severe weather shelters, you will receive a push notification titled New Open Shifts Available! and/or a text message with a summary of shifts at the locations you volunteer. Hi {{First Name}}, this is Homebase! Here s your summary for {{Date}} to {{Date}}. {{Location}} Schedule: Empty Schedule Open Shifts Available This is your notification that the shelters plan to activate and need volunteers to schedule shifts to staff the shelter. Logging In You may press on the push notification from the Homebase app, or open the Homebase App from your phone s menu system or launcher. After loading the app, you will be logged into your personal dashboard. 15

19 Open Shifts From your personal dashboard there are a couple steps you need to take to claim any open shifts. 1. Press the Schedule button to navigate to the Schedule tab From the Schedule tab press the Open navigation link to see a list of available open shifts. If you volunteer at multiple locations, you may filter the list by each location individually by selecting the filter button in the upper-right corner and select the desired location to volunteer. 2 16

20 3. Select the Location you choose to work if you volunteer at multiple locations On the Open Shifts tab scroll through the list to identify shifts you are available to take. Select shifts stating (Slot #1) and (Slot #2) unless you wish to fill another position, such as Backup Person, which is a volunteer on call if Shift Volunteers must drop a shift. To take an open shift press on the desired shift. 4 Slot #1 Slot #2 Slot #1 5. On the following shift details page press Claim Shift. Sign up for all shifts that you are available to work at the selected location. Slot #1 5 Note that you may see 2 shifts with identical times in this menu. Each shift requires 2 volunteers to fully staff a shelter, so 2 shifts are displayed until a shift has been assigned. Sign up for both Slot 1 & 2. 17

21 Pending Shifts Once you claim a shift a request will be sent to your Site Manager. Slot #1 Your request will be Pending, you are not scheduled to work the shift until a Site Manager approves, denies your request, or assigns the shift to another volunteer. Shift Approval/Denial Once your shift requests have been submitted, schedulers will be assigning volunteers based on the shift requests they have received. The final schedule will be released at noon on the day of the activation. During the process of assigning! shifts, you may receive an titled Your request to work an open shift {{Date & Time}} was approved or Your request to work an open shift {{Date & Time}} was denied Ignore these notifications, please follow the instructions in the Personal Settings section pg. 24 to disable these approved/denied notifications. See the Your Schedule section on pg. 8 for more information about your scheduled shifts. 18

22 Additional Requests for Coverage If by 10am there remain unfilled shifts you may receive additional requests for coverage by and mobile messaging if using the mobile app. If you can work any remaining shifts please sign up following steps 1-5 on Page 16 of this manual. If you receive notifications from other locations requesting volunteers, you may change your location (see step 2 on page 16) and claim available shifts by following the steps on page 21. Shelter Activation The next step is to watch for additional notifications 11:30am-noon by or mobile app message about the shelter activation. If there are not enough volunteers scheduled, then the shelter may not be able to open. WHAT IF THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS SCHEDULED? In the event that there are not enough volunteers scheduled to work the shelter, the shelter cannot open. You may receive additional requests for coverage in the morning if there are not enough volunteers scheduled to work. You will receive an and mobile message from Homebase between 11:30am-noon notifying you if the shelter will or will not activate. If the shelter does not activate and you are scheduled to work, you will receive an and/or text message from Homebase stating that there are schedule changes. Your shifts will be cleared from the schedule. Thank you for volunteering! 19

23 Your Schedule Viewing Your Schedule in the Mobile App When you open the mobile app from your device menu or launcher, your personal dashboard will display the next scheduled shift you have agreed work. To see a list of your scheduled shifts, press the Schedule button along the bottom of the screen. The schedule tab will show a list of your scheduled shifts. Note: if you are working at multiple locations use the filter icon to narrow the shift list by location. Slot #1 Slot #1 20

24 By At noon all volunteers will receive an titled SWS {{Location}} - New schedule published. You will receive a personalized schedule for the site you are volunteering. If you volunteer at multiple locations, you will receive an from each location. (Slot #1) Assigned a shift Wednesday 5pm-10pm Not assigned a shift By Text Notification You will also receive a text message from Homebase at noon on the day when requests are sent with your schedule for each location you have volunteered to fill a shift. Assigned a shift Tu & W 5p-10p Not assigned a shift 21

25 Dropping a Shift Contacting the Site Manager It is important that volunteers commit to keeping the shifts for which they have been scheduled, but emergencies, illnesses, and other events do happen which would make it impossible or hazardous to work a shift. 1. If you are unable to work your shift press the Schedule link in the bottom navigation bar. 2. Look in the EVENTS row right under the date or week for the listed Site Manager. Event: Site Manager Arthur Dent 3. You can press on the event to show the Site Manager s phone number. Call the Site Manager to ask them if they can find cover for your shift. 22

26 Personal Settings You can change how and when you get Alerts and Notifications from Homebase and integrate your scheduled shifts with your device calendar. To change your settings, press the menu app to open the menu. Choose Settings. button in the top left of your mobile Notifications and Alerts Alerts & Notifications 1. You may change when and by what methods you receive notifications from Homebase. From the Settings Menu select Notifications & Alerts. 2. To adjust your notification settings, press the setting you would like to change, and check or uncheck the settings you would like to change. When done press the back button. 23

27 3. Recommended Settings: See below to reduce the number of notifications you receive and focus on the important notifications you need. 24

28 Calendar Sync The Homebase mobile app allows for syncing your shift schedule with your device calendar. If you would like to enable this feature, select the Calendar Sync option from the Settings menu. Select calendar Messaging Homebase includes the ability to send messages through the built-in messaging function of the mobile app. We discourage use of the in-built messaging. If you need to contact Site Managers or other volunteers, please use your of phone to contact directly. If you use the mobile app however, you will receive notifications from the Shelter Coordinator or your Site Managers. The messaging function will be used to broadcast information to all volunteers at a location with the same message. An example of this broadcast usage will be for additional requests for shift coverage. 25

29 If you receive a notification about shift coverage, follow the instructions to claim a shift on page 16 of this manual. If the notification is about something else (notice about power outage, reminders, etc.), you may back or call the sender if a response is warranted. Please do not send or reply to messages from the Entire SWS {{Shelter Location}} 26

30 Part 3 Frequently Asked Questions How can I reduce the number of notifications I receive? You can reduce the number of notification by , text message, or push notification from the settings menus from the Homebase website or mobile app. See pages 12 and 24 for more information on adjusting these settings. Why am I not seeing any s or getting notifications about staffing the shelter? You will only see requests for coverage by or SMS text message if the Department of Emergency Management determines that the weather conditions meet requirements to open the severe weather shelters. If the weather does not meet requirements to open there will be no messages sent requesting shift coverage. Please also check your SPAM or JUNK box to make sure that these s are not being accidentally filtered as spam. How do I change my address or phone number? If you need to change your address or phone number, please contact Michelle Moen at Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (360) or MMoen@co.kitsap.wa.us to update your information. Please do not change this settings within Homebase, as these changes will not be reported back to SWS partners. 27

31 How do I change, add, or remove locations where I volunteer? If you wish to change, add, or drop your volunteer locations please contact the Shelter Coordinator Cory Derenburger at (360) or cderenbu@co.kitsap.wa.us I have accidentally scheduled a shift or have a schedule conflict, what do I do? Please contact the Site Manager at the location you submitted to volunteer to notify them about the scheduling issue or error as soon as possible. If you cannot reach the Site Manager contact the Shelter Coordinator Cory Derenburger at (360) or cderenbu@co.kitsap.wa.us Why don t I see any open shifts on the schedule to cover? There are a few possibilities for why you may not see any open shifts to take when responding to a shift request. 1. There is no current activation. 2. All the open shifts have already been scheduled and the shelter is fully staffed. 3. It is possible that you may be seeing the schedule for a different week, please make sure to check the date range to ensure that your web app or mobile app is showing the current week. 28

32 How do I know if I am scheduled to work? You will receive a list of your scheduled shifts by: SMS Text, Push Notification, and . Can I reply to the text message to take a shift? To sign up for a shift you need to follow the steps to claim a shift. Follow the instructions in this manual on page 5 for the website, or page 16 for the mobile app. If you reply to a text message or a Homebase message this will not sign you up for a shift. Replies to text messages are automated and are not sent to a live person. 29

33 I set my availability, am I scheduled to work? Using the My Availability feature does not sign up for shifts. This only lets your site managers know if you are scheduled to be on vacation or prefer to work certain hours. To sign up for shifts follow the instructions in this manual on page 5 for the website, or page 16 for the mobile app. I see two shifts available for the same location and time. Is this an error, which do I choose? You may see 2 identical shifts displayed in the Open shifts menu. Each shift requires 2 volunteers to fully staff a shelter, so 2 shifts are displayed until a shift has been assigned. Sign up for both Slot #1 and Slot #2. What if I cannot work any of the open shifts? If you are unable to volunteer certain days or times, do not claim shifts on these days or times. If you will be unavailable for a period of time, you may notify your Site Manager that you will not be available to volunteer. What if I have other questions about using Homebase? Please contact the Shelter Coordinator Cory Derenburger at (360) or cderenbu@co.kitsap.wa.us 30