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The Login User function in Cadmus lets dispatchers log crews onto units at the start of a shift, assign individual officers to unit IDs, and manage the off-duty pool — all from a single dialog. Keeping unit login state accurate ensures the Active Units sidebar reflects real-world availability and that field MDTs stay in sync with the dispatch board. When an agency or individual user has Require unit login by dispatch enabled, the officer’s MDT stays in a waiting room after normal sign-in until dispatch logs that officer onto an active unit. The same behavior applies on Windows, Android, and iOS MDT builds. Dispatch CAD and enrolled unit-device or apparatus tablet mode are not blocked by this waiting room.

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Open the Login User Dialog

You can open the Unit Assignment dialog two ways:
  • Press F2 from anywhere in the Cadmus dispatch interface.
  • Click the Login User button in the top header bar.
Verify that the correct Agency is selected in the filter row at the top of the dialog before proceeding. If your console covers multiple agencies, selecting the wrong agency will show the wrong unit pool.

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Log a Unit On Duty

1

Open the Unit Assignment dialog

Press F2 or click Login User in the header. The dialog lists all units available for login.
2

Filter the unit list (optional)

Use the All Beats, All Agencies, and All Unit Types dropdowns to narrow the list. You can also search by a vehicle name, such as 24-01, to find the associated unit. This is especially useful at multi-agency consoles or large-agency shift changes.
3

Select the unit

Click the row for the unit you want to bring on duty.
4

Assign crew

Click Logon and enter or select the officer’s name or ID to associate them with the unit.
5

Confirm

Submit the dialog. The unit moves from the Off Duty pool to the Active Units sidebar with an Available status. If the officer was waiting in the MDT, the MDT refreshes crew status and unlocks.

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Vehicle Names

When a unit has a vehicle name assigned, Cadmus shows that vehicle name beneath the callsign in both the Login User (F2) dialog and the Active Units sidebar. For example, a unit with callsign CAR 24 may display 24-01 below it. Use the vehicle name in the Login User search field to locate the unit when the vehicle identifier is more familiar than its callsign.

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Batch Login at Shift Start

When multiple units are coming on duty simultaneously — such as at a major shift change — use Batch Log In Units instead of repeating the single-unit flow.
  1. Open the Off Duty section of the Active Units sidebar.
  2. Click Batch Log In (or Batch Log In Units).
  3. Select all units to bring on duty and confirm.
Batch login saves significant time at peak shift changes. Coordinate with officers to confirm they are ready before you submit — logging a unit on triggers MDT login state on their device.

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Login without personnel

Some apparatus (especially fire trucks and some ambulances) go in service with no crew members logged onto the unit.
  1. Open Login User (F2) or use Login on an Off Duty unit card.
  2. Select the unit.
  3. Check Login without personnel.
  4. Click Logon / Log In.
The unit appears on the Active Units sidebar with no officers listed. Use Set Off Duty from the unit context menu when that apparatus leaves service — it returns to the Off Duty pool.
Login without personnel does not unlock a user’s MDT waiting room. The gate requires the signed-in user to be an active crew member on the selected agency’s unit.
Agency desks (for example MSHP, Dispatch, or Jail desks) are different. They show on Active Units as virtual assignees and are assigned to calls through the agency desk workflow — they are not logged in with Login User.
Fire and EMS agencies themselves are not logged in as units. Only real apparatus (and agency desks where configured) appear on Active Units.

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Active Units Sidebar

Once units are logged on, the Active Units sidebar gives you a live view of your deployment:
  • Active units list — shows every on-duty unit with its current status and color-coded indicator.
  • Unstaffed units — apparatus or units with Available status but no logged-in crew appear in the active list with an Unstaffed badge. Right-click and choose Log in… before assigning them to a call, or drag them to a call to be prompted to log in first.
  • Off Duty section — below the active list; shows units in Off Duty status (not Available units with no crew). Use batch or individual login from this section.
  • Units list density — toggle between Compact and Comfortable display density to match your screen layout.
  • Status filter — use the All dropdown to filter the sidebar to a specific status (e.g., show only Available units).
The header shows total unit count, Available, Unstaffed (when any are present), and En Route counts. For a full-screen grid view of all unit statuses, press F5 to open the Unit Greaseboard. The greaseboard supports:
  • Agency filter — same All / Clear / Done pattern as header Select Agencies (Clear shows an empty board)
  • Online / Offline — filters by whether crew is logged into the unit
  • Sort: Status vs Sort: Status | Zone — reorders units within each status lane by zone or beat (when zones are missing or all the same, order may look unchanged)
  • Table view and opening in a new window for a secondary monitor

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Assigning an Unstaffed Unit to a Call

If you drag an Unstaffed unit onto a call card (or select it in the unit assignment dialog), Cadmus opens the Log in dialog first. After crew is logged in, the assignment proceeds automatically. If assignment fails after a successful login, you will see an orange warning — the unit will not remain on the call.

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Agency desk units

Some agencies use agency desk virtual units — for example MSHP-DESK — to hand a call off to another agency’s dispatch desk. These units appear in the Active Units sidebar alongside field units, but they work differently from patrol or apparatus units:
  • Do not log them on with Login User (F2). Agency desks are not crewed units. There is no officer to assign, and they do not appear in the Unit Assignment dialog for logon.
  • Assign them from the board or call detail instead. Drag an agency desk from the sidebar onto a call card, click it in the AVAILABLE UNITS row, or pick it from Assign Unit — the same drag-and-drop and quick-assign gestures you use for field units.
  • Agency assignment, not a standard unit dispatch. When you assign an agency desk, Cadmus adds that agency to the call through the agency assignment workflow. The agency receives its own CFS number, which appears in the Assigned agencies block on call detail.
Agency desk units are created in Web Admin and stay available without batch login at shift change. See Dispatching units for assignment details.

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Unit Context Menu

Right-click any unit row in the sidebar (or click the unit’s action menu) to access quick actions without opening a call:
Some context menu items may display Coming soon depending on your agency configuration (for example, Traffic Stop from the sidebar and Memo Location).

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Log Off at Shift End

1

Confirm the unit is clear of all calls

A unit cannot be logged off while assigned to an active CFS. Cadmus displays a Cannot Log off dialog listing the active calls.
2

Open the unit context menu

Right-click the unit row in the Active Units sidebar.
3

Select Log off

Click Log off and confirm. Single-crew units log off one officer; multi-crew units prompt to log off all crew.
  • Permanent apparatus (e.g., Ladder 1) — after log off, the unit stays in the Active Units list as Unstaffed.
  • Standard units — after log off, the unit moves to the Off-Duty Units section below the active list.
If an officer has Require unit login by dispatch enabled, logging that officer off returns their MDT to the waiting room. If the device was disconnected when the change occurred, the MDT checks crew status again on reconnect or app resume.

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MDT Device Enrollment

If a field unit needs to enroll a new mobile device (MDT), open the Devices dialog from the unit context menu (Devices…):
  • Copy the activation code and send it to the officer for field device setup.
  • Use Revoke device? to decommission a retired or lost device.

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Units and Agency Configuration

Units and their agency associations are created and maintained in Web Admin under the Units pages. If units appear stale or a newly created unit does not appear in the Login User dialog, reload the page to refresh the unit list after any admin changes.
NCIC behavior, traffic-stop permissions, and the MDT dispatch-login requirement are governed by agency-level settings and per-user overrides in Web Admin, not the unit login configuration itself.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Trying to log on an agency desk with F2 — agency desk virtual units (for example MSHP-DESK) are assigned by dragging or quick-assigning them onto a call, not through Login User.
  • Logging a unit on without assigning to a call — the call remains in a pending state until a unit is explicitly assigned.
  • Setting a unit off duty while assigned to an open CFS — Cadmus will block the action, but verify call assignments manually before ending a shift.
  • Skipping batch login at a major shift change — logging units on one at a time slows down shift start and can delay MDT availability for officers in the field.
Logout and off-duty actions directly affect the field MDT login state for assigned officers. Always coordinate with officers before forcing a logout from the dispatch console — an unexpected MDT logout can disrupt an active officer in the field.