InciWeb Drupal 

Administrative Manual

October 26, 2022

Cover: The InciWeb national map as seen on the website before wildfires 

occur.
InciWeb Drupal Administration Manual, October 2022

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Table of Contents

Contents

Disclaimer...............................................................................................................................................................6

InciWeb Drupal Administration Manual, October 26, 2022 version..........................................................................7

Introduction:...........................................................................................................................................................7

Getting Started:......................................................................................................................................................7

New to InciWeb:.....................................................................................................................................................7

Inactive iNAP Accounts:......................................................................................................................................7

Active iNAP Accounts .........................................................................................................................................7

Obtaining an Integrated National Application Portal (iNAP) Account: ..................................................................8

Step 1:.................................................................................................................................................................8

Step 2:.................................................................................................................................................................8

Step 3:.................................................................................................................................................................9

Step 4:.................................................................................................................................................................9

Step 5:.................................................................................................................................................................9

Step 6............................................................................................................................................................... 10

Step 7:.............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Login - The Wildland Fire Application Portal: https://iwfirp.nwcg.gov/............................................................. 12

Login.gov.............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Step 1:.............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Step 2:.............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Step 3............................................................................................................................................................... 12

Step 4:.............................................................................................................................................................. 13

Step 5:.............................................................................................................................................................. 13

Step 6:.............................................................................................................................................................. 14

Step 7............................................................................................................................................................... 14

Step 8............................................................................................................................................................... 14

Step 9:.............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Login with e-Authenticate (Figure 26):................................................................................................................ 15

Step 1:.............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Step 2:.............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Step 3:.............................................................................................................................................................. 16
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Step 4............................................................................................................................................................... 16

Linking iNAP to the Wildland Fire Applications Portal: ....................................................................................... 16

Step 1: Log-in to https://www.inciweb.wildfire.gov to begin (Figure 12). ..................................................... 16

Step 3:.............................................................................................................................................................. 16

Step 4:.............................................................................................................................................................. 17

Step 5:.............................................................................................................................................................. 17

Step 6:.............................................................................................................................................................. 17

Step 7............................................................................................................................................................... 17

Step 8:.............................................................................................................................................................. 18

Step 9:.............................................................................................................................................................. 18

Welcome to the InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site ............................................................................................. 19

User Help............................................................................................................................................................. 19

Additional Help.................................................................................................................................................... 19

Useful Tips for Navigating / Working in InciWeb .................................................................................................... 20

Creating an Incident ............................................................................................................................................ 21

Following the ICS 209 form ................................................................................................................................. 22

Step 1 – [Box 1], Incident Name...................................................................................................................... 22

Step 2 – Incident Overview.............................................................................................................................. 22

Step 3 – Incident Basic Info, [Box 4], Incident Commander & Agency or Organization.................................. 23

Step 4 – [Box 6], Incident Start Date/Time...................................................................................................... 23

Step 5 – [Box 7], Incident Size ......................................................................................................................... 23

Step 6 – [Box 8], Percent (%) Contained.......................................................................................................... 23

Step 7 – [Box 9], Incident Type........................................................................................................................ 23

Step 8 – [Box 9b], Incident Description........................................................................................................... 23

Step 9 – [Box 9c], Incident Cause .................................................................................................................... 23

Step 10 – [Box 22], Latitude & Longitude........................................................................................................ 24

Step 11 – [Box 25], Incident Location.............................................................................................................. 24

Step 12 – [Boxes 28 – 51] Events..................................................................................................................... 24

Step 13 – Add Media ....................................................................................................................................... 24

Creating an Incident, Part 2................................................................................................................................. 24

Step 14 – Unit.................................................................................................................................................. 25

Step 15 – Contact Information ........................................................................................................................ 25

Step 16 – Cooperators Attached to this Incident............................................................................................ 26
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Step 17 – Incident Links................................................................................................................................... 27

Step 18 – Incident Groups............................................................................................................................... 27

Step 19 – Social Media Links ........................................................................................................................... 27

Step 20 – Active and Redirect.......................................................................................................................... 28

Step 21 – Publish ............................................................................................................................................. 28

Step 22 – Save (Completing the Incident) ....................................................................................................... 28

Searching in InciWeb Drupal ................................................................................................................................... 28

Step 1 – Add Content....................................................................................................................................... 29

Step 2 – Title.................................................................................................................................................... 29

Step 3 – Content Type, Incident Unit, and Further Searches.......................................................................... 29

Step 4 – Action................................................................................................................................................. 29

Adding an Incident Media Item, Part 1 ............................................................................................................... 30

Adding an Incident Media Item, Part 2 ............................................................................................................... 32

Step 1 – Naming .............................................................................................................................................. 32

Step 2 – Media Type........................................................................................................................................ 32

Step 3 – Image, Choose File............................................................................................................................. 33

Step 4 – Adding Alternative Text..................................................................................................................... 33

Searching for Media Files (Photos, Videos, & Maps) .......................................................................................... 34

Step 1 – The Content Menu............................................................................................................................. 34

Step 2 – Inside the Media Library Page ........................................................................................................... 34

Edit an Incident Media Item................................................................................................................................ 36

Add an Incident Publication ................................................................................................................................ 37

Step 1 – Title and Date .................................................................................................................................... 38

Step 2 – Publication Type ................................................................................................................................ 38

Step 3 – Content.............................................................................................................................................. 38

Step 4 – Incident.............................................................................................................................................. 38

Step 5 – Related Links...................................................................................................................................... 39

Step 6 – Related Information .......................................................................................................................... 39

Step 7 – Highlighted on Home......................................................................................................................... 40

Step 8 – Publish ............................................................................................................................................... 40

Step 9 – Save.................................................................................................................................................... 40

Add a Cooperator to an Incident......................................................................................................................... 40

Step 1 – Searching for the Incident to Edit...................................................................................................... 40
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Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit...................................................................................................... 41

Step 3 – Adding, Editing, or Removing a Cooperator...................................................................................... 41

Step 4 – Saving................................................................................................................................................. 42

Compose an Incident Tweet................................................................................................................................ 42

Step 1 – Homepage ......................................................................................................................................... 42

Step 2 – Logging In........................................................................................................................................... 43

Step 3 – The Twitter Form Page ...................................................................................................................... 43

Step 4 – Composing a Tweet........................................................................................................................... 43

Step 5 – Tweet!................................................................................................................................................ 43

Redirect an Incident ............................................................................................................................................ 43

Step 1 – Searching for the Incident ................................................................................................................. 44

Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit...................................................................................................... 44

Step 3 – Active Unchecked .............................................................................................................................. 44

Step 4 – The Redirect....................................................................................................................................... 44

Step 5 – Link to Another Incident (if necessary).............................................................................................. 45

Update Unit Information (for Superusers only) .................................................................................................. 46

Step 1 – Shortcuts............................................................................................................................................ 46

Step 2 – Unit Search ........................................................................................................................................ 46

Step 3 – Selecting a Unit.................................................................................................................................. 46

Step 4 – Edits................................................................................................................................................... 46

Deactivate an Incident......................................................................................................................................... 47

Step 1 – Deactivate or Unpublish an Incident................................................................................................. 47

Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit...................................................................................................... 47

Step 3 – Deactivate.......................................................................................................................................... 47

Delete (Do Not Use)............................................................................................................................................. 48

Add A New User and Manage Access (Superusers Only) .................................................................................... 49

Step 1 – Add a New User................................................................................................................................. 49

Step 2 – Picture (Optional) .............................................................................................................................. 50

Step 3 – Email Address.................................................................................................................................... 50

Step 4 – Username and Password (Required Fields)....................................................................................... 50

Step 5 – Status and Roles ................................................................................................................................ 50

Step 6 – Assigning Roles.................................................................................................................................. 51

Step 7 – The Remaining Fields......................................................................................................................... 51
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Step 8 – Contact Settings................................................................................................................................. 51

Step 9 – Time Zone .......................................................................................................................................... 51

Step 10 – Create New Account........................................................................................................................ 51

Add a New User and Manage Access (Superusers Only), Part 2......................................................................... 52

Step 1 – Unit Access Page................................................................................................................................ 52

Step 2 – Unit Selection .................................................................................................................................... 52

Step 3 – View Unit Group ................................................................................................................................ 52

Step 4 – Members ........................................................................................................................................... 53

Step 5 – Add Members.................................................................................................................................... 53

Step 6 – Group Membership ........................................................................................................................... 53

Step 7 – Expiration Date.................................................................................................................................. 53

Step 8 – Save.................................................................................................................................................... 54

Step 9 – Add Others......................................................................................................................................... 54

Remove a User from a Unit................................................................................................................................. 54

Step 1 – User Groups Page .............................................................................................................................. 54

Step 2 – Member Retrieval.............................................................................................................................. 54

Step 3 – View Member.................................................................................................................................... 54

Step 4 – Remove Member............................................................................................................................... 54

Step 5 – Double Check..................................................................................................................................... 55

Step 6 – Return................................................................................................................................................ 55

Deleting a User from InciWeb Drupal ................................................................................................................. 55

Step 1 – Navigation.......................................................................................................................................... 55

Step 2 – Action................................................................................................................................................. 56

Step 3 – The User or Superuser Profiles.......................................................................................................... 56

Step 4 – Cancellation Method ......................................................................................................................... 56

Step 5 – Confirm.............................................................................................................................................. 57

Step 6 – Confirmation...................................................................................................................................... 57

Group Incidents................................................................................................................................................... 57

Create an Incident Group and add Incidents ...................................................................................................... 58

Step 1 – Navigation.......................................................................................................................................... 58

Step 2 – Incident Groups................................................................................................................................. 58

Step 3 – Save and go to list.............................................................................................................................. 59

Step 4 – Incident Groups................................................................................................................................. 59
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Step 5 – Edit Incident....................................................................................................................................... 59

Create an Incident Group and add Incidents, Part 2........................................................................................... 60

Step 6 – Finding Content ................................................................................................................................. 60

Step 7 – Edit Incident....................................................................................................................................... 60

Step 8 – Save.................................................................................................................................................... 60

Remove Incident from Incident Group................................................................................................................ 61

Step 1 – Navigation.......................................................................................................................................... 61

Step 2 – Removing an Incident Group............................................................................................................. 61

Step 3 – Save.................................................................................................................................................... 61

Delete an Incident Group .................................................................................................................................... 62

Step 1 – Navigation.......................................................................................................................................... 62

Step 2 – Incident Group Selection................................................................................................................... 62

Step 3 – Delete ................................................................................................................................................ 62

Step 4 – Confirmation...................................................................................................................................... 63

Appendix A .............................................................................................................................................................. 64

Appendix B............................................................................................................................................................... 68

Disclaimer 

None of the incidents represented in this manual are real-world incidents past or present. The names of 

incidents were created to be instructional and to provide a visual example for Users and Superusers to 

learn the steps to setup and edit an incident. 

Manual Revisions

If you have additional or revised content you would like to see in this manual, please email Brian 

Reublinger at brian.reublinger@usda.gov
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InciWeb Drupal Administration Manual, October 26, 2022 version 

Figure 1: The new banner for the InciWeb Drupal website.

Introduction: 

This InciWeb Drupal Administration Manual is a descriptive how-to guide for navigating, entering, 

updating, and concluding an incident in the InciWeb Drupal Administrative website (InciWeb Admin) 

that will be viewable by the public and the media.

Those who manage incidents are known as Users (limited access) or Superusers (full access and 

possible leadership responsibilities in managing Users). In this manual, both Users and Superusers 

share the same roles and will be addressed collectively as Users. There are a few Sections later in the 

manual with instructions specifically for Superusers. 

All the step-by-step instructions have screengrab(s) to help all Users visualize, navigate, and 

understand each of the functions more easily. Also, certain Sections have shortcut directions to 

navigate through a task, called the Shortcut Route (e.g., Manage > Content > Add Content > Incident). 

These instructions may be used as a quick reference when navigating. 

Lastly, any changes Users might make need to be saved. If a new incident is started, data updated or 

changed (e.g., typing, docs, maps, photos) without being saved before exiting the changes will be lost 

and the process restarted. 

Getting Started:

The InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site is the “back side” of the InciWeb Drupal website as opposed to 

the public facing “front side.” Users create, update, and conclude incident information in the 

Administrative Site. All information entered in the InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site, once published, is 

displayed on the public facing InciWeb website (https://www.inciweb.wildfire.gov). 

New to InciWeb: 

An account is required for access to the InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site. To gain access, you will 

need to establish an Integrated National Application Portal (iNAP) account and password or be able to 

login via e-Authenticate (e-Auth) or Login.gov. Start on page 8. All others can skip ahead to page 12. 

Inactive iNAP Accounts: 

If you used to have access InciWeb, your iNAP account may still exist but is inactive. Contact the 

Interagency Incident Applications (IIA) Helpdesk at (866) 224-7677 or visit

to discover if you can recover an inactive account or need to create a new account. 

https://iiahelpdesk.nwcg.gov/

Active iNAP Accounts: 

If you have an active in iNAP account with InciWeb access, your login credentials will transfer to 

InciWeb Drupal on the launch date. Accounts will need updating afterwards. If your account is active, 

skip to page 17 to setup either a Login.gov or e-Authenticate account.
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Obtaining an Integrated National Application Portal (iNAP) Account:

Use the following steps to begin the iNAP registration process.

Step 1: Go to the iNAP website https://nap.nwcg.gov/NAP/ (if the link doesn’t work, copy, and paste 

the web address into your internet browser search bar). 

Figure 2: The Integrated National Application Portal, iNAP homepage screen with a list of web applications.

Step 2: Once in the iNAP Integrated National Application Portal (Figure 2), there are two choices for 

requesting a new account. 

A. Click the “Request account” link in the upper left corner (Figure 3) posted below the USDA 

and Forest Service logos. 

Figure 3: The first Request account link circled as an option in the upper left corner of the iNAP homepage.

B. Another option to request an iNAP account is in the upper right corner (Figure 4), above the 

Messages in the left side brown column of the iNAP website homepage. 

Figure 4: The second Account Request link in the upper right corner, above Messages in the brown column. It is located to the right, next 

to the head and shoulders resembling a person.

C. Click the down arrow next to the person and chose “Request account”. It will highlight itself 

in green (Figure 5). 
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Figure 5: Request account by clicking the down arrow next to the person. The selection will highlight itself in green.

Step 3: Enter your User’s information (Figure 6). Fill out as much as possible. The required “blank form 

fields” in the application are: First Name, Last Name, E-mail address, E-mail address confirm, Office 

phone number, and Primary affiliation. 

Figure 6: Complete the form to request an iNAP account. When complete, Select the Next button in the lower left corner.

Step 4: To choose a “Primary affiliation,” select the dropdown arrow and choose your employer: 

City/County/Local Government, Contractor/Vendor, DOD Government, Federal Government, 

International Government, Other (further down the list but not visible in Figure 7), State Government, 

and Tribal Government.

Figure 7: Select the Primary Affiliation the employee is going to be working for.

Step 5: After selecting an employee’s Primary Affiliation, additional options will open to specify the 

employee’s organizational unit and agency (Figure 8).
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Figure 8: When requesting an iNAP account, you will also need to select the organization and agency where you work.

Step 6 The next step in acquiring an iNAP password is to complete the information on the Superuser 

who will be managing the User. Once you have entered all the data, select the Submit button (Figure 9) 

to process your application. 

If you need to change any information from a previous screen, don’t use the back arrow in your web 

browser. This will not work. The application will erase, and you will need to start over again. Also, if any 

of the information has been left out of the iNAP application will inform you of missing content when the 

application is submitted. 

Figure 9: Enter the information for the Superuser who will be managing the User’s access. Once completed chose Submit. The user will be 

notified by iNAP that their information has been accepted and access into the InciWeb is possible.

Note: Once your iNAP account has been approved, you will receive two e-mails from 

donotreply@nwcg.gov. One e-mail provides your new iNAP Username. The second provides your 

temporary iNAP password. 

Once you have received both emails, log-in to iNAP (Figure 10) to change your password as soon as 

possible. The temporary password only works for a limited time. Change it to your own new password 

before it expires and don’t share it with others. If your temporary password expires, contact the 

Interagency Incident Applications Helpdesk at (866) 224-7677 to request another temporary password.
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Figure 10: Sign in to iNAP, circled in red.

Step 7: The last step in creating an iNAP User account is to sign in with your Username and new 

password (Figure 11) to confirm your account has been created. 

Figure 11: Sign into iNAP with the new username and password. Sign-in using the green button.
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Login - The Wildland Fire Application Portal: https://iwfirp.nwcg.gov/ 

Figure 12: There are two choices to log-in to get to InciWeb Drupal, choose either Login.gov or e-Authenticate. 

Login.gov

Step 1: If you already have a Login.gov account (Figure 18), enter your email address and password to 

“Sign in.” If this is your first time, select “Create your Account” to gain access (Figure 19).

Figure 13: Sign in option or the option to create a new account.

Step 2: To Create your account, enter the email address (work or other) you plan to use with this 

account, choose the email language (English), read the Rules of Use, check the box, and select 

Submit.

Step 3: In a few minutes Login.gov will then send out an email confirmation (Figure 20) to the address 

you provided. Select, “Confirm email address.” 

Figure 14: Select, “Confirm email address” to proceed to the next step.
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Step 4: The next step is to set-up a strong password (Figure 21). When creating a password, you won’t 

be asked twice or to re-enter your new password a second time.

Figure 15: Create a strong password before proceeding to the next step. The grey Continue button will turn blue when a strong password 

is typed in.

Step 5: Set-up an authentication method (second tier security) and the means to confirm a User’s 

identity (Figure 22). There are five authentication options available, but only one will work in this 

version. Choose the fourth option (from the top) of Text or Voice Message. 

The first three options won’t work (Security Key, Government Employee ID, and Authentic Application) 

and are not supported by the IIA Helpdesk if a problem occurs. The PIC/CAC card option won’t work if 

your government issued PIV/CAC card is already in use. The fifth option (Backup Codes) is the least 

secure of all the choices and is not recommended. 

After choosing “Text or Voice Message”, fill in your cellphone number on the next screen. A cellphone 

number is recommended to receive text messages or a phone call. Every time you login to gain access 

to InciWeb Drupal, you will receive a confirmation text to authenticate your access. A cellphone number 

to receive text messages works best, especially if you are located in a remote area.

Figure 16: To set-up a method of authentication, choose Text or Voice Message. Type in the cell number to receive a texts or phone call.
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Once your cellphone number is entered, select the “Send code” button to receive a confirmation text or 

phone call. 

Step 6: The webpage will automatically switch over to “Enter your security code” (Figure 23) screen. 

Enter that code and select Submit.

Figure 17: Once you receive your One-time code, enter it in correctly, and chose Submit.

Step 7: A green banner (Figure 24) will appear at the top of the next webpage confirming your phone 

number has been added. Although you have the option to add another method, choose “Skip for now” 

under the “Add another method” blue button. 

Figure 18: There's an option to add another authentication method, choose “Skip for now.” The window indicating your email address has 

been confirmed and your account set-up with Login.gov.

Step 8: You’ll receive an email, confirming your email address to complete the last step of setting up 

an account. The link expires in 24-hours. 
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Step 9: After your Login.gov account has been accepted and verified the webpage will switch over to 

the Wildland Fire Applications Portal. Look for the InciWeb logo and select to enter into the InciWeb 

Drupal site (Figure 25). 

Figure 19: The last step for gaining access to InciWeb Drupal, is to Select the InciWeb logo. 

Login with e-Authenticate (Figure 26): 

Figure 20: If you are a government employee with a PIV/CAC or other identification used to access e-Authenticate, you can use it to access 

InciWeb Drupal.

Step 1: Follow the same steps as if you were accessing other programs in e-Authenticate (Figure 27).

Figure 21: The screen that shows options for logging-in using a PIV/CAC card.

Step 2: After selecting PIV/CAC, it may ask to identing your federal agency (Figure 28). Only 

Department of Agriculture or Department of Interior are options. If your department is not listed, using 

Login.gov may be the best option to gain access to InciWeb Drupal. 
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Figure 22: Choose your agency and submit for access to InciWeb Drupal.

Step 3: The next window asks to “Save Agency” as your default for quicker log-in next time (Figure 29). 

Figure 23: For quicker access during a future log-in, set your agency as your default.

Step 4: The last window in the e-Authenticate process will switch to the Wildland Fire Applications 

Portal and the InciWeb Drupal logo (Page 15, Figure 25). Select the logo to advance in InciWeb Drupal.

Linking iNAP to the Wildland Fire Applications Portal: 

To access the InciWeb Drupal Administrative site, a User’s iNAP account must be linked to their eAuthentication account. This security procedure is necessary whether you are a new User or Superuser 

with an established iNAP account. 

Step 1: Log-in to https://www.inciweb.wildfire.gov to begin (Figure 12).

Figure 24: An iNAP account needs to be linked to an e-Authentication account to gain access into InciWeb Drupal. Start with selecting the 

Login button in the grey menu bar.

Step 2: Once the screen has switched to the national InciWeb map, navigate to the Login menu button 

located on the grey banner across the top of the website. Login is the last button on the right side.

Step 3: The webpage switches to the Wildland Fire Application Portal available from: 

https://iwfirp.nwcg.gov/index.html 

Of the two choices for logging in, select the one for Government with the option to e-Authenticate 

(Figure 13). If you’re not a government employee or unable to use e-Authenticate, choose Login.gov.
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Figure 25: There are two choices to linking iNAP to InciWeb Drupal either through Login.gov or e-Authenticate.

Step 4: The User will go through the usual e-Authenticate procedures. Choosing PIV / LincPass and 

entering in PIN#. The website will automatically switch back to the Integrated National Applications 

Portal (iNAP) page. 

The User will have two choices to proceed. If a potential User didn’t set-up an iNAP account, they will 

have to set-up an account following the procedures back on page 8. If a User already has an iNAP 

account, choose the second option and select the green “Next” button (Figure 14).

Figure 26: If a potential User doesn't have an iNAP account they will need to make one before proceeding. All others can select that they 

have one and choose Next.

Step 5: For security reasons to link in a User’s iNAP account, confirm your account by entering in an 

email address and PIN associated with the User’s profile (Figure 15).

Figure 27: Enter an email address and a PIN to confirm iNAP login.

Step 6: Once an iNAP account has been authenticated, the User will have to Edit Profile if necessary 

to confirm all their profile information is correct. Change any account information and save.

Step 7: (Possible) If after a User enters their email and PIN#, a message to “close the browser 

window” may appear. Restart the login procedure (Figure 16).
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Figure 28: If there's an issue with confirming an iNAP account, a message of Leaving iNAP may appear.

Step 8: Once login is complete and the Wildland Fire Applications Portal accessible, InciWeb should 

be one of the choices of applications available at the top of the webpage (Figure 17). If not, it will be 

listed among the many applications listed in alphabetical order (the rectangular boxes) in the grid 

below. 

Figure 29: InciWeb will be among the applications available inside the Wildland Fire Application Portal.

Step 9: Once InciWeb is selected, the page will automatically change to the InciWeb Drupal 

Administration site and User Help.
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Welcome to the InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site 

Figure 30: After logging into iNAP, Welcome to the InciWeb administrative site page appears.

User Help 

Before proceeding forward, to create an incident or to edit an existing incident, review the information in 

User Help in the InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site (Figure 30). The User Help page is a resource 

available to all Users. The What’s New section will be a scrolling message board and will change with 

the latest updates, news, helpful hints, outage information, and/or any other important information all 

Users will need to know. 

Additional Help 

To the right of the What’s New section is the Additional Help. If a User needs assistance throughout the 

administrative site, there are three options available: Book Reading, Up Arrow, and Telephone icons. 

• Book Reading: There will be a direct link to this InciWeb Drupal manual for reference.

• Up Arrow: All training materials related to InciWeb Drupal will still have a home on the National 

Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) website: https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/pio-bulletinboard/inciweb Users will discover training videos, how-to resources, and reference tools to 

answer any questions.

• Telephone: For technical issues, troubleshooting, login issues, or problem solving, contact the 

Interagency Incident Applications Helpdesk (IIA Helpdesk) available to help 24-hours a day, 7-

days a week, including holidays.

Three additional shortcuts are also available at the bottom under “Unit Management and User Access.” 

o Manage Unit Access and Incidents

o Unit Superuser Lookup

o Search Units
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Useful Tips for Navigating / Working in InciWeb 

Follow these two-steps for help entering data into the empty fields within the various pages of InciWeb 

Drupal.

a) Most blank form fields that allow HTML formatting, do not allow right-clicking to Cut and Paste. 

Instead, use these shortcuts: CTRL+X (Cut / Remove), CTRL+C (Copy), and CTRL+V (Paste). 

b) When copying from a PDF document (e.g., the ICS-209 form), the pasted content may not be 

formatted correctly. Drupal functions somewhat differently than Microsoft Office. The easiest 

way to copy content from the ICS-209 form is to navigate to the SIT-209 application (this 

requires access to the FAM-IT Portal via an iNAP account). Information can be found at 

https://famit.nwcg.gov/applications/SIT209 

In the SIT-209 application, select the “Run as” button and select HTML. This will reload the 209 

Form in an HTML format which will Copy, and Paste (via the CTRL buttons) exactly as-is into 

InciWeb Administration. 

If this is not possible, type in the data necessary into each empty field in InciWeb.

To navigate effectively throughout the InciWeb Drupal website, it is important to become familiar with 

the functions of the Menu bar (Figure 31). 

Figure 31: The InciWeb Drupal menu bar.

Manage: Opens and closes the menu bar with access to the many features within InciWeb Drupal.

Shortcuts: There are four options available after opening Shortcuts: 

• User Help: At any time, while working in InciWeb Drupal, if help is needed this function will 

return Users back to the administrative home page with the User Help information.

• Unit Search: Primary used by Unit superusers. Allows the User to easily search for a unit, then 

edit the Unit information (e.g., Unit Name, Unit Code, Address). 

• Unit Access: Search by unit to identify all the members (Users and Superusers) of the unit; 

Unit superusers can add or remove members, determine whether other members should be 

superusers on the unit, as well as set expiration dates for Users. 

• Incident Publication Search: This is a way to quickly find a document (Announcement, 

Closure, or News) already loaded into InciWeb for reference or editing.

Drupal logo (Waterdrop): Return to the InciWeb homepage. Shows the same content the public would 

see, except logged in Users have the Drupal menu bars across the top. Opening the Waterdrop will 

also give Users the ability to log-off of InciWeb Drupal.

Content: From Content, navigate to: 
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• Add Content: ‘Incident’ to create a new Incident or ‘Incident Publication’ to create a new 

Announcement, News, or Closure publication. 

• Media: ‘Add media’ to add an Incident Media Item. 

Structure / Taxonomy: Navigate to Taxonomy to create or edit an Incident Group. In Drupal, the 

taxonomy is a way to classify certain types of content. The States (e.g., Alabama, Alaska, Arizona...) 

as well as the Incident Types (e.g., BAER, prescribed burn, wildfire...) are examples of taxonomy 

terms. Users will have the ability to view other Taxonomy terms used within Drupal but not to edit.

Groups: Only visible to superusers. This menu item is where a superuser would setup a permission 

group for a unit and then manage which Users are a member of the unit.

People: Only visible to superusers. This is where one would create a new User or edit an existing User.

Help: This is the help content provided by Drupal. It explains the various components of Drupal in 

general, which won’t be very useful for Users. We recommend InciWeb Users adhere to the perimeters 

in this administrative guide.

Creating an Incident

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Add Content > Incident.

Starting from the User Help, Welcome to InciWeb administration page, start a new incident by 

navigating to the upper left corner of the screen to the Content button (Figure 32). If the Content button 

is not visible, the Manage menu button should be pressed and the Content button will appear below. 

There are two paths available for starting a new incident and both are correct ways. 

• Using the computer cursor, hover over the Content button, two menu items will appear (Add 

content and Media). Hover over Add content and two more options appear (Incident Publication 

and Incident). Choose Incident. 

Figure 32: Open up the Content menu and hover the cursor over Add Content and then select Incident. 

• The second way to create a new incident is by pressing the Content button. This page will list all 

incidents in Drupal and gives the option to look up incidents by using the search by title option.

At the top left side of the page is a blue button, + Add content (Figure 33). 

Figure 33: The second way to start a new incident is by pressing the Content menu button, then pressing the blue + Add content button.
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• Selecting that button will take the User to a the “Add content” page with two options for Incident 

and Incident Publication (Figure 34). Choosing Incident will take the User to the exact same 

page if a User chose the first option for starting an incident.

Figure 34: On the page is two options for Incident and Incident Publication. To begin a new incident chose Incident. This will take the User 

to the same page as if following the first option.

Following the ICS 209 form 

This is where you begin entering in all the data to create a new incident in InciWeb Drupal. If the 

incident you are inputting is in initial attack, following the ICS-209 will still be beneficial as a guide. 

Creating a new incident follows the same format as the previous version of InciWeb. However, there 

have been some updates to make the data entry easier. 

Step 1 – [Box 1], Incident Name

1) The form starts out with filling in the Incident’s Name (Figure 35). Incident Name is a required 

field. 

a. Special characters are allowed for Incident Names. Refer to Appendix A (page 65) for a 

comprehensive list of Incident naming guidelines. 

b. Twitter automatically uses this incident name to generate the hashtag.

Step 2 – Incident Overview

Describe the incident by either writing original content or paste in from another document. The Incident 

Overview Item is intended to provide an overview of the incident; this could include a description of the 

incident, management objectives and strategy, and/or tactical actions that are being taken to respond.

Figure 35: When starting a new incident, filling in the Incident Name is first followed by Incident Overview and Basic information.
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You can “Copy and Paste” text from another source, such as the ICS-209 forms. Notice that some 

fields have formatting options that can be used (e.g., bold, indent, strike through) and at the bottom of 

each field is suggested hints in small type to assist.

Step 3 – Incident Basic Info, [Box 4], Incident Commander & Agency or Organization

A required field.

Step 4 – [Box 6], Incident Start Date/Time

Make sure to use a.m. or p.m. Military time (24-hour) is not accepted.

Step 5 – [Box 7], Incident Size

Type in the incident size or use the Up or Down arrows to increase or decrease the number value. 

Letters and special characters not accepted. Acres is the default size measurement.

Step 6 – [Box 8], Percent (%) Contained

Use a range of 0 – 100. 

Step 7 – [Box 9], Incident Type

Use the dropdown arrow to choose from the various incident types. This is a required field.

Step 8 – [Box 9b], Incident Description

Describe the incident by either writing original content or paste in from another document. InciWeb 

Drupal has a few font editing choices available in each description box. 

• Bold

• Italic

• Chain: to create a link (internet or document)

• Break: to break a link

• Bullet Points

• Numbered Bullet Points

• Block Quote

• Insert from Media Library

• Format: Type style (Normal, Heading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)

• Source 

Step 9 – [Box 9c], Incident Cause

Even though this is not a required field, depending on the type of incident being published, check with 

the incident commander as to the cause especially during a wildland fire. 
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Step 10 – [Box 22], Latitude & Longitude

Enter Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. Latitude and Longitude seconds (sec) are the only 

blank fields that accept decimal points. These are all required fields. Also, when entering the longitude, 

the value is negative (-). However, the negative symbol doesn’t need to be entered. It will be 

automatically plotted on the map.

Step 11 – [Box 25], Incident Location

A brief written description of the incident’s location other than using the GPS coordinates. This is not a 

required field.

Step 12 – [Boxes 28 – 51] Events 

These are not required fields. 

Step 13 – Add Media

Use this field to add a photograph of the incident or a logo of the representing agency if one is 

available. This is not a required element and can be skipped over.

When the User selects ‘Add Media’, the User is only allowed to pick from existing media files (Figure 

36). This is to ensure media files are properly associated to an incident with each upload. If you have a 

new media item to add to an incident, it can’t be added here. 

To add a new media item, not yet loaded into InciWeb Drupal, save the incident when complete. Then 

go and upload the media item following the instructions (page 32). Then reopen the incident to edit, and 

then add the media item. 

Figure 36: To add a photo or logo from the media library, select which one by marking the small square in each upper left corner. At the

bottom of the page is an Insert Selected button. This will return the User to the Create a New Incident page.

Creating an Incident, Part 2 

There is additional information to also complete on the right side of the page. This area is shaded (light 

grey) to distinguish it from the Boxes needing completion on the left side of the page. Each field (e.g., 

Unit, Contact Information, Cooperators...) in this section has additional features to know:

• Each field title is in an accordion format. To the left of each title is a small, inverted triangle 

(Figure 37). Activating it or selecting the title itself will either raise or lower the field to hide or 

display. 
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Figure 37: To the left of each field title is the Inverted Triangle that can either raise or lower the field in an accordion format.

In many of the fields below, where more than one selection is possible, to the right is a Hide / Show row 

weights. This feature will do one of two display options:

• Hide row weights (the default choice): will remove the option to order the fields by number (see 

Step 15, 1st bullet point). A new option will appear that resembles a plus sign with arrows going 

in each direction (Figure 38). 

Figure 38: The plus sign with arrows is another feature for rearranging the order of any field that has more than one.

If using a mouse, click and hold the plus sign with arrows, then manually move that field up or 

down to change the order within that field. 

• It is possible to include more than one Contact, Cooperator, or Link depending on the size and 

scope of the incident. Once the Add button is pressed, a second will appear.

 

Step 14 – Unit

This is the host agency or the jurisdiction where the incident is currently managing the fire. This is a 

required field and self-populating. By typing in a few letters, InciWeb Drupal will populate up to ten 

possible suggestions. The more letters you type, the more the list narrows your choices (Figure 39). 

Figure 39: The Incident Unit is self-populating with possible suggestions until your choice appears. 

Step 15 – Contact Information

This is information the public will see on the “front side” of each incident of the InciWeb Drupal page. 

Fill-in the correct information of a person, team, incident, or office / agency where public and media 

inquiries will be answered. (Figure 40). Additional features include:
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Figure 40: Contact Information has many options including adding more than one contact and order.

• Contacts can be prioritized and changed at any time. To the User’s right is a small box with a 

number (the default is zero) and a down arrow (Figure 40). To change the priority, select the

arrow and the priority number for the new ordering. The Contacts will then automatically change 

their order. 

• If a Contact is no longer available or needed, it can be removed by selecting the “Remove” 

button above the “Contact Information.” A confirmation is required to remove a contact by 

selecting the “Confirm removal” button again. 

• However, if removing the contact was done in error, there is a down arrow to the right of the 

Confirm removal button. Once pressed, a “Restore” button will appear. This will prevent the 

contact from being deleted.

Step 16 – Cooperators Attached to this Incident

Cooperators are unique to each incident. To include a cooperator (Figure 41), simply populate the 

Cooperator Information section with the cooperator’s name and URL (Uniform Resource Locator, also 

known as the web address). The URL must start with either https:// or http://. 

Figure 41: To add Cooperators to an incident, fill-in the cooperator name and web address used.

If there is more than one cooperator, the choose the “Add button” to add more. All listed cooperators 

will appear on the public site under the ‘Related Links’ section.
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Step 17 – Incident Links

To add an Incident Link, populate this section with a URL and Link Text (Figure 42). The link text is a 

brief description or title of where the link is going to or for. 

Figure 42: If a Link is needed for the incident enter it here with a brief description. 

All URLs must start with http:// or https://. To add more incident links, use the Add another item button.

Step 18 – Incident Groups

If the incident has more than one incident attached to it, create a Group of Incidents (Figure 43). The 

incident organization will then change to one of four choices (Complex, Theater, Related, or Unified 

Command). Choose the option that best describes the incident command structure. 

Figure 43: If the incident involves more than one incident, establish a Group.

Step 19 – Social Media Links

The Social Media links section (Figure 44) allows Users to link any relevant social media pages for the 

incident (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Once a field is populated with a URL, the relevant social 

media icon will appear on the public page, under the Incident Name. The URL must be formatted to 

start with http:// or https:// to work properly.

* Important, InciWeb Drupal does not have a URL shortener. That will need to be done elsewhere. 

Figure 44: Filling in these fields will produce the social media icons for the incident that the public, media, or responders will access.
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Step 20 – Active and Redirect

By default, the Active checkbox will always be selected (Figure 45). This indicates the incident is an 

active incident. If the User or Superuser unchecks this box, then the incident is considered inactive. 

Figure 45: The Active, Redirect Incident, Publish, and Save features are important. They must be completed for an incident to appear on 

the public site.

If the incident is inactive, it will no longer have a map marker on the public map. However, the inactive 

incident is still published with a visible perimeter. The public and Users will still be able to access the 

incident URL. However, the public map will show a message stating “This incident is no longer active; 

map is showing approximate location.”

Redirect an Incident (How to) is covered later in the manual (Page 44).

Step 21 – Publish

By default, the Publish checkbox will always be selected. This checkbox controls if the incident shows 

up on the public site. If it is unchecked, the incident becomes unpublished. This means that even if the 

incident is marked as Active, there will not be a URL for the incident, it will not appear on the map, or be 

viewable by the public. The incident perimeter will still be visible. 

Step 22 – Save (Completing the Incident)

When all the previous steps have been completed and double checked for accuracy, the Save button 

should be pressed to officially create an incident in InciWeb Drupal. 

Searching in InciWeb Drupal 

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Search

As a User or superuser in InciWeb Drupal, it is important to know how to search for an incident 

especially when logging on to update an established incident.

To search for incidents or incident publications, activate the Manage button and press or engage the 

Content button located in the grey menu bar to the right of the Drupal waterdrop (Figure 46).

Figure 46: How to find an Incident or an Incident Publication in the menu bar.
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Step 1 – Add Content

The Content page has several search options h for incidents and related content. To add new content 

the “+ Add Content” button is available (Figure 47). Refer to the Creating an Incident section for 

assistance.

Figure 47: To conduct a search for an incident chose Title. 

Step 2 – Title

If you know the name of the incident or incident publication you want to search for, type it into the Title 

field and select the Filter button (Figure 48). The page will refresh and display all the items that match 

your inquiry. To clear the search results page and search criteria, select the Reset button. 

Figure 48: In the search results page, search for a new item by choosing Filter. To return to the previous content page, select the Reset 

button.

Step 3 – Content Type, Incident Unit, and Further Searches

Moving right from the Title search field, the next search facet is the Content type dropdown to select 

either Incident or Incident Publication (note the other dropdown selections like Article are not 

applicable). The other search facets include:

1. Incident Unit: The agency or department managing the incident and a self-populating field. 

2. Published status: either Published or Unpublished.

3. Translation language: “Any” is the best option.

4. Name (autocomplete): Is the person who created the incident or incident publication. 

Step 4 – Action

Once you find the item you were searching for in the generated list, there are a few options to choose 

from (Figure 49). 

Figure 49: A search for an incident, publication, or incident generates a list of options to choose from.
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To the left side of the search list are empty squares for selecting a title. Check one of those boxes if you 

want to complete an “Action” (Delete Content is the listed default item). Select the right down arrow and 

choose several options. (Figure 50). 

When an “Action” is chosen, select the “Apply to selected item” button to activate. Note: “Actions” are 

limited by permission, and you may not have the permission depending on User or Superuser access. 

Figure 50: List of “Action” items to choose. 

To the right side of the search list is the Edit button for each title. Edit an Incident or Incident Publication 

by selecting the Edit button (Figure 49). The Edit an Incident page opens. This is the same page that 

was populated when the incident was created. Return to the “Navigating InciWeb Drupal” section in this 

manual to edit the incident. 

When all necessary changes have been made, select the Save button.

You will receive a banner message that ‘Incident <incident name> has been updated’ or ‘Incident 

Publication <publication title> has been updated.’ You will automatically be directed to the public page 

so you can see the changes.

On the public facing page, the User will receive a banner message at the top of the Incident homepage 

that “Incident Media Item ... has been updated.” This message banner can’t be seen by the public even 

though it can be seen by Users or Superusers.

Adding an Incident Media Item, Part 1

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Media > Add Media > Incident Media Item

Hover the cursor over Content and another menu will open with three choices: Add content, Find by 

Incident Publication, and Media (Figure 51). Hover the cursor over Media and two more menu items will 

appear, Add media and Media Library. Select the Incident Media Item button to add new media.

Figure 51: To add a media item (map, photo, video, or other) follow the menu options under Incident Media.
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If the media button is pressed before reaching the next menu items, it will take the User to the exact 

same media destination. The only noticeable difference will be that pressing Media will go to Table view 

and selecting Media library will open the Grid version of the same webpage. 

Hover the cursor over Media and two more menu items will appear, Add media and Media Library. 

Select the Add media button and the Add Incident Media Item page will open in InciWeb Drupal. 

Before adding new media, review the InciWeb Drupal media parameters below. Not following these 

parameters will cause InciWeb Drupal to reject media. 

Please note: Media can only be loaded one at a time.

• Photo file sizes: 256 MB Maximum

• Photo file types allowed: .png, .gif, .jpg, and .jpeg

• Video file sizes: 256 MB Maximum

• Video types: .mp4 only

• Video duration: One minute maximum per video.

• Videos prohibited: All Recordings of Operational Briefings or public meetings, either video or 

audio, are prohibited on InciWeb Drupal. This prohibition applies to Live briefings and public 

meetings given by All-Hazard and Wildland Fire Incident Command and General Staff 

Personnel. Photos of briefings and meetings are still permitted and encouraged on InciWeb 

Drupal.

• Document file size, including maps: 256 MB Maximum

• Document Types Allowed: .txt, .rtf, .doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx, .xls, .xlsx, .pdf, .odf, .odg, .odp, .ods, 

.odt, .fodt, .fods, .fodp, .fodg, and key numbers pages.

• Twitter messages: 280 Maximum Characters.

• Up to three Incident Publications can be highlighted at one time on the Incident page.

• The use of backslash / and dashes - are not supported in the Incident Publication Title 

(Announcements, News, and Closures). Please use the 'Release Date' instead of entering the 

date directly in the Incident Publication Title.

• Media items, thumbnails, can only be loaded one-at-a-time.

• Not following these parameters will cause InciWeb Drupal to reject media.
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Adding an Incident Media Item, Part 2 

To add a map, photo, or video media item into InciWeb Drupal (Figure 52), it first requires a name. 

Figure 52: Add Incident Media Item.

Step 1 – Naming

To assist with file names, follow the rules for Information and Public Affairs Officers assigned to an 

Incident Management Team. The National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) states preferred 

options for naming files to be added into an Incident’s Electronic Document (eDoc) storage location. 

Refer to Appendix B (page 69) for a comprehensive list of Incident Naming Guidelines for Information 

Officers. These rules can also be applied to naming other documents and/or media files.

Naming (a required field) any media file should be unique, but easy for someone else to retrieve later. It 

is recommended that media names be long and include the date the media was created, photographed, 

or recorded, if available. 

Each media item will receive a time stamp of when it is published or saved in InciWeb Drupal. 

Photographs can sometimes be difficult to date accurately. Check the meta-data or the properties of the 

photograph or video before uploading to InciWeb Drupal.

Step 2 – Media Type

In the Media Information box, open the field with the down arrow to select the type of media item: 

Photo, Map, or Video. “None” is the default setting. If there is media to download, choose one of the 

three types (Figure 53). 
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1) Map: A User can upload both an image file and the associated PDF file.

2) Photo: A User can only upload image files.

3) Video: is s User can only upload video files.

To assist in the functionality of InciWeb Drupal, do not load maps as photographs and vise-versa, 

photographs as maps. 

Figure 53: Select one of the three options available, map, photo, or video for downloading media into InciWeb Drupal.

Step 3 – Image, Choose File

When the User selects Chose File, a window will open on your computer to access your files. Navigate 

to the image you would like to upload to InciWeb Drupal and select.

Step 4 – Adding Alternative Text

Once a User has selected a file, it becomes a thumbnail, and the Alternative text field must be 

populated (Figure 54). This a required field and provides input to screen readers for individuals+ with 

visual impairments. 

Figure 54: Once the image, map, or video is previewed in Media Information, add alternative text.

If you downloaded the wrong file, select the Remove button and it will clear the image. Follow the 

following steps to complete all the information needed for the media item. 

1. Caption: One or two sentences that describes the media item with detail. (Example: Photo of 

an old growth ponderosa pine tree burning while looking west towards the setting sun on 

Division Alpha, Flag Fire). 

2. Media Owner: This could be the person who took the photo, the Team who created the map, 

or the agency that shot the video.
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3. I Agree: All uploaded media must be copyright free (Figure 55). “By checking this box, you are 

confirming that no copyrights are being violated as a result of posting these images to 

InciWeb.” 

Figure 55: Thumbnails on InciWeb Drupal are all copyright free. Check the box, I Agree, to confirm.

4. Incident: The name of the incident where the media file originated (a required field).

5. Published: By default, this item is always checked. To uncheck it would mean that the media 

item will still be saved but won’t be visible.

6. Save: After all the edits are complete, press the Save button. If during any time you leave the 

page without saving, the process will have to start over.

Once saved, the User will receive a banner message back at the Incident homepage that ‘Incident 

Media Item ... has been updated,’ to view the changes made as the public would.

Searching for Media Files (Photos, Videos, & Maps)

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Media > Media Library

Both Users and Superusers have the ability to upload and download individual media items. Users will 

be able to edit previously uploaded media items. 

Step 1 – The Content Menu

Hover the mouse cursor over Content and another menu will open with two choices Add content or 

Media. Hover Media and select Media Library (Figure 56).

Figure 56: The sub-menu options to choose from in media.

Step 2 – Inside the Media Library Page

Starting at the top of the page, (Figure 57) several options available before choosing a media item. 

They are as follows: 
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1. Content and Media: (file tabs). Content will take the User to the incident listings page, while the 

Media tab will return the User to the media page. 

2. Table and Grid: are the two options for viewing this page. Both include and access the same 

information. It is a matter of preference which you choose to use. 

Figure 57: The Media page options for adding and searching maps, photo, or video media files.

3. Breadcrumbs (Home > Administration > Content): A trail of webpages that lead the User to a 

destination. This is a good way to backtrack through the menu instead of using the back arrow.

 

4. + Media: A User goes to add maps, photos, and videos. (See page 30, Adding Media)

5. Published (searches): is a way to search for media items published or unpublished. 

6. Name: refers to the file name

7. Related Incident: Allows Users to search for all media items associated to a particular Incident

8. Media Type: should be set to Any or Incident Media Item. Please note that the other media 

types are not applicable to the Incidents. Rather they are media types which may exist on the 

static public pages such as the About webpage.

9. Language: Not an applicable search filter. Leave it set to -Any10.Sort by: Is another search feature to arrange the various media files from the Newest, A – Z, or 

reverse Z – A. Apply filters is the Enter button after the Sort by has been changed.

11.Action: Chose one from the list (Delete, Edit, Publish, Save, or Unpublish) from the media 

types below. First select the media items, then select the action from the dropdown, then click 

on Apply to selected items. Note that actions are restricted by permission level and Users will be 

restricted based on the level of access.

12.Media Item: Map, photo, or video will display a thumbnail image (a sample picture) with a file 

name, origin, date loaded, media type and a caption. 

13.Apply to selected items: button is also located at the bottom of the page. 

Each thumbnail displayed (map, photo, video) on the Media webpage has metadata for easier viewing 

(Figure 58). 
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Figure 58: A video has a blank (black) screen. It is a test screen to display features with the media type.

All thumbnails contain: 

1. Upper left corner: A white checkbox. It is blank for unselected and is check marked for 

selected. 

2. Upper Right Corner: Pencil inside circle or the Edit button. (See the section for Edit an Incident 

Media Item). 

3. Below the Thumbnail: Name, Related Incident, Media Date, Media Type, and a Caption.

Video Thumbnails have four unique features to them (Figure 46).

1. Play: To see a sample of the video in the thumbnail.

2. Volume: To adjust the speaker strength up or down.

3. Expansion Box: To view the video in a larger screen.

4. Three Dots: Other options that include Download, Playback Speed, and Picture in Picture. 

Edit an Incident Media Item 

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Media > Media Library > Media Search > Select Pencil 

Inside Circle

A User has the option to Edit a photo, map, and video. However, it should rarely be used to avoid 

accidently altering key information. It should primarily be used to complete information that was left 

blank when initially uploaded to InciWeb Drupal. 

The name of the media thumbnail will be listed in the grey ribbon at the top of the page. Many of the 

steps below are the same from “Adding an Incident Media Item, Part 2 (page 32).” The following fields 

can be edited on this page.

1. Name: A required field. Every media item requires a name.
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2. Alternative text: A required field. To make InciWeb Drupal accessible, this field should be 

completed for individuals who use screen readers, search engines, or when an image cannot 

be loaded successfully. 

3. Caption: One or two sentences that describes the media item with detail. (Example: Photo of 

an old growth ponderosa pine tree burning while looking west towards the setting sun on 

Division Alpha, Flag Fire). 

4. Media Owner: This could be the person who took the photo, the Team who created the map, 

or the agency that shot the video.

5. I Agree: A default setting as checked (a required field). By checking this box, you are 

confirming that no copyrights are being violated by posting these images to InciWeb. 

6. Incident: The name of the incident where the media file originated (a required field).

7. Published: By default, this item is always checked. Unchecking it would mean that the media 

item will still be saved, but it won’t be visible to the public. 

8. Revision Information: Each edit receives authoring information and a time stamp.

9. Save: After all the edits are complete, press the Save button.

Once the media is saved, the page will automatically return to the “Media Library.” A banner message 

will state ‘Incident Media Item ... has been updated’ on the screen. The published content is now visible 

by the public. 

Add an Incident Publication

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Add Content > Incident Publication

To add an incident publication, select or hover the cursor over the Content button (located in the grey 

menu bar to the right of the Drupal waterdrop). Hover the cursor over Add content and the menu 

options of Incident or Incident Publication will appear. (Figure 59).

Figure 59: How to find an Incident or an Incident Publication in the menu bar.

Hover the cursor over Add content and the menu options of Incident or Incident Publication will appear. 

Move the cursor the right and click on Incident Publication. If the Add content button is pressed, a 

different page will open (Figure 60). Select the second option, Incident Publication and this action will 

take the User to the same destination page as the other route. 
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Figure 60: To add an incident publication, navigate to Incident. 

Step 1 – Title and Date

Once the User has accessed the Create Incident Publication page, complete the steps below. 

Figure 61: Every publication needs a title and a Release Date to find the publication after it’s been published.

Title: Create a unique title that will distinguish it from other publications on InciWeb Drupal (Figure 61). 

The name should follow the NWCG Standards for Electronic Documentation (eDoc) publication.

Refer to Appendix A, (page 64) for a comprehensive list of file naming guidelines that can also be 

used for media and document file names. 

Step 2 – Publication Type

The Publication Type is the next required field. Engage the dropdown arrow and three options become 

available: Announcements, Closures, and News.

Step 3 – Content

The Publication Content is the body of the publication. You can use HTML formatting on this field such 

as bulleted lists, numbered lists, italics, bolding, etc. 

Step 4 – Incident

Incident is a required field and designates which incident(s) the publication is for. It is also an autopopulating field. As you start to type out the incident’s name, the program will try to guess the name you 

are typing. When your incident name appears, stop typing, and select it from the generated dropdown 

menu. The name with an incident code, in parenthesis () will populate the field. 

It is possible to connect the publication to more than one incident (e.g., if an Incident Management 

Team is managing a complex with individual InciWeb Drupal pages. An example might be attaching 

same air quality report over a large affected geographic area covering many fires). 
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Step 5 – Related Links

Enter any Related Links that are required to promote this publication. These will appear below the 

‘Publication Content’ on the public page. Be sure to format it starting with http:// or https:// when writing 

the complete URL address.

Step 6 – Related Information

The Related Information section of the publication page allows you to upload an unlimited number of 

PDFs for the Incident publication (Figure 62). Please note that the file name you upload is the file name 

that will display on the public site. 

Figure 62: Select a PDF file that can be attached to the publication. More than one can be added.

When the User selects Choose Files, a window will open to access your files. Select the file you want to 

upload (Figure 63).

Figure 63: Select an image, map, or video from your computer to upload to InciWeb Drupal.

If you choose an image instead of a PDF, a warning banner will appear (Figure 64) and automatically 

remove the file. 

Figure 64: A warning banner indicating the wrong file was attempting to be upload.

Once the correct PDF file is chosen and uploaded (Figure 65), the text of the file is displayed. If the 

wrong PDF file was chosen, it can be removed before being saved. Repeat the process if the User 

wants to include additional PDF files.

Figure 65: An example of a successfully uploaded PDF file to the publication.
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Step 7 – Highlighted on Home

An important step to avoid skipping before saving any publication is at the top right side of the 

webpage. The “Highlighted On Home” feature (Figure 66). 

Figure 66: To prioritize a publication, a User can choose to either highlight or unhighlight.

From the dropdown arrow, choosing Highlighted means the publication will appear on the incident 

page. It will reside above the Incident Overview. Choosing Not Highlighted will remove the publication 

from public view. A User can highlight up to three Incident Publications for each incident at one time.

If a User sets four or more incident publications to be Highlighted, then the three most recently updated 

publications will appear on the incident page. 

Step 8 – Publish

By default, this item is always checked. Unchecking it means that the publication will still be saved but 

won’t be visible to the public. 

Step 9 – Save

After all edits are complete, select the Save button. The page will automatically return to the incident 

home screen. A banner message will state ‘Incident Media Item ... has been updated’ on the screen. 

The published content can now be viewed by the public. 

Add a Cooperator to an Incident

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Search > Edit > Cooperators Attached to this Incident

To add a cooperator to an already established incident, follow these steps to navigate to the incident.

Step 1 – Searching for the Incident to Edit

To search for incidents, activate the Manage button and select the Content button located in the grey 

menu bar to the right of the Drupal waterdrop (Figure 67). That will open the Search page to find an 

incident.

Figure 67: To open an incident, activate the Content button to open the Search page.

If further assistance is needed for navigating through the Search features available, refer to the 

Searching in InciWeb section (page 28). 
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Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit

In the Content page, if the User does not see the incident listed among the other titles, type the incident 

name into the Title field just below the + Add content button in the upper left corner of the Content 

page. Select the Filter button directly below to search (Figure 68). 

Figure 68: Navigate through the Content options to discover the incident to edit.

Once an incident has been located, on the far right of the Title is the Edit button. Once the Edit button is 

engaged the incident will open in the Edit page. On the right side of this page, scroll down to 

Cooperators Attached to this Incident (Figure 69).

Figure 69: How to add a new or edit an existing Cooperator.

Step 3 – Adding, Editing, or Removing a Cooperator 

Enter the Cooperator’s Name as you would like it to appear on the public viewing side of InciWeb 

Drupal, followed by entering the Cooperator’s URL. For a website to function properly on the public 

viewing side, the URL must start with http:// or https://

Adding: Users can add as many cooperators as necessary by selecting the Add button at the 

bottom of the Cooperators section.

Editing: If a previous listed cooperator requires editing, follow the same procedures for Adding. 

Removing: To remove a cooperator from the incident, activate the Remove button and the next 

screen will provide the User with two options (Figure 70). 
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Figure 70: When deleting a Cooperator, two options occur to confirm or restore.

a. The User will then see the message Deleted Paragraph on the left side. To the left is the 

Confirm Removal button with a down arrow. If removing the cooperator is necessary, 

select the Confirm Removal button.

 

b. If in error a User mistakenly activates the Remove button, select the down arrow next to 

the Confirm Removal button. The Restore option will appear. Select the Restore button 

and all the data associated with that cooperator will return. 

Step 4 – Saving

After all the changes have been made, the User must Save. Existing the page before saving will delete 

all the entered information. Scroll to the bottom of the Edit page, on the left side, and select Save. 

The User will automatically be returned to the public viewing screen. A banner message at the top will 

indicate the Incident has been updated. 

Compose an Incident Tweet 

Shortcut route: Main Menu Bar > Twitter

Tweets are automatically created and sent to the InciWeb Drupal Twitter account whenever a User or 

superuser creates a new incident, updates the existing incident, adds an incident publication 

(announcement, closure, or news publication), or adds an incident media item (map, photo, or video). 

Automatic tweets include the following information: 

• Incident, State, Unit hashtags

• The shortened incident URL 

• A brief description of what was updated and when. 

A User also has the option to manually compose a tweet. Complete the following next steps to generate 

and publish a tweet.

Step 1 – Homepage

To compose a Tweet, the User needs to be in the public viewing page of the incident. To navigate to 

the InciWeb homepage from anywhere inside InciWeb Drupal, go to the main menu (Figure 71) or 

select the blue InciWeb Drupal icon (inside the dark blue banner) in the navigation bar. This takes you 

to the InciWeb homepage and the main menu. 
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Figure 71: To compose a Tweet, navigate to the main menu bar to the right side.

Step 2 – Logging In

If the Twitter title is not listed on the menu bar to the right, it means that InciWeb Drupal does not 

recognize that the User is logged on to InciWeb Drupal Administrative Site. If this happens, login into 

InciWeb again. The Twitter option button should appear in the menu bar. The public side of InciWeb 

Drupal will not see Twitter in the menu bar.

Step 3 – The Twitter Form Page

After selecting Twitter from the menu bar, the Twitter Form Page will open. First, identify the Incident to

create a Tweet for. This can be done in two ways:

a) Type in the Incident name. This will self-populate a suggestion to what incident you are trying to 

locate.

b) Select the right-side drop-down arrow button and look through all the active incidents. Select the 

one listed your looking for. 

Step 4 – Composing a Tweet

Type in the message to tweet. At the bottom of the Tweet Message field there is character counter --

the maximum is 280 characters, including hashtags and shortened URLs.

Step 5 – Tweet!

Check the message and if everything is correct, select the Tweet! button. The tweet has now been sent 

to Twitter and the User will be redirected to a confirmation page.

(e.g., #TestFire #NV #MTHTF bit.ly/1a2b3c4D Test Fire: Evacuations and Closures Update 8.9.2022 – 

12:00PM) 

Redirect an Incident

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Search > Active > Redirect Incident > Save

Under some circumstances redirecting an incident is necessary. This may happen when an incident 

that started on one unit combines into another incident that started on a neighboring unit. Therefore, it 

may be appropriate to redirect the public to the incident on the neighboring unit, rather than continuing 

to update the incident the User and Superuser is managing. Instead of deleting the established 

incident, InciWeb Drupal can redirect it to the other incident on the neighboring unit. 

Use the following steps to redirect an incident: 
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Step 1 – Searching for the Incident 

To search for incidents, activate the Manage button and select the Content button located in the grey 

menu bar to the right of the Drupal waterdrop (Figure 72) This will open the Search page. 

Figure 72: To open an incident, activate the Content button to open the Search page.

• For further assistance navigating through the Search features, refer to the Searching in InciWeb 

Drupal section (page 28). 

Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit 

Select the Filter button directly below to search. Once an incident has been located, on the far right of 

the Title is the Edit button. Select the Edit button to open the “Edit Incident” page.

Step 3 – Active Unchecked

To begin the redirect process, scroll to the bottom of the page and uncheck the Active box (Figure 73).

Figure 73: To redirect an incident to another, unselect the Active box and type the other incident into the Redirect Incident box.

Step 4 – The Redirect

In the Redirect Incident field, enter the name of the other active incident that the current incident should 

be redirected to. Make sure the information is correct. If an incident is not chosen in the Redirect 

Incident page, it can be chosen later in Step 5. To continue select Save. 

The User or Superuser making the change will automatically be returned to the public viewing screen of 

the incident and a banner message at the top will indicate that the Incident has been updated. 

As a result of being marked ‘inactive’, the marker for the incident has been removed from the map. In 

its place is a notification on the map which states: ‘This incident is no longer active, map is showing 

approximate location,’ (Figure 74).
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Figure 74: Once an incident has been redirected to another, a no longer active message will appear on the InciWeb Drupal map.

Scroll further down the page. Beneath the blue Incident menu bar is an additional message: “This 

incident is no longer being updated.” 

• If in Step 4, there was not an incident to redirect to, then a large bold-type message will read: 

“This Incident is no longer being updated.” A blue button states “Link to Another Incident” 

(Figure 75). 

Figure 75: When the User does not select an active incident for the inactive incident to redirect to, a message will appear that the incident 

is no longer being updated. A button requesting the User to link to Another incident is displayed.

Step 5 – Link to Another Incident (if necessary)

Follow these steps if the User did not link to another incident (Step 4, page 44) to redirect to and the 

Link to Another Incident button appears.

a) Select the Link to Another Incident button.

b) The Inactive Redirect Form page automatically opens with two search options: “Inactive 

Incident” and “Redirect Incident.” 

c) A User can either type the name of the incident or select the dropdown arrow to the right and 

view a list of “Inactive Incidents” to choose from. 

d) A User then can either type the name of the incident or select the dropdown arrow to the right 

and see a list of Related Incidents available to choose from. 

e) Once all the fields are complete and checked for errors, select Save. 

The page will automatically change to the incident’s home page to implement the changes.

To remove a Redirect, navigate back to the Manage, Content, Search, and Edit page. 

a) On the Edit Incident Name page, scroll to the bottom to the Redirect Incident field. It will have an 

incident listed inside the box.
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b) Clear or erase the Redirect Incident field. Leave blank. 

c) If necessary, also recheck the Active check box. 

d) Select the Save button.

Update Unit Information (for Superusers only)

Shortcut route: Shortcuts > Unit Search

The option to update or change the Unit Information for an incident is only available to Superusers. If a 

User notices the current Unit Information should be corrected, contact a Superuser assigned to the 

incident or the local unit’s Public Affairs Officer who is usually a designated Superuser. 

If there are not any superusers assigned to the incident, with access to InciWeb, it is possible for a User 

to change the Unit Information. However, the User would have to contact the Interagency Incident 

Applications (IIA) Helpdesk at 1-866-224-7677 (available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, and 365-

days out of one year). 

Step 1 – Shortcuts

To update the Unit Information, navigate to and select the Shortcuts button located between the 

Manage and User Identifier in the upper black menu bar.

Step 2 – Unit Search

Choose the Unit Search button in the middle of the list. The Unit Search page will open (Figure 76).

Figure 76: In the Unit Search field, type the Name of a unit.

Step 3 – Selecting a Unit

When typing in the Name field, a list of units matching the typed text will begin to auto-populate. Once a 

Unit has been identified, select it and the Name field will automatically populate.

Step 4 – Edits

Superusers can make the necessary edits for the Unit Information. Make any updates. Select the Save

button to continue. The User will receive a banner message, “Updated term <unit name>.”

The page will automatically return to the incident home screen. A banner message will state Updated 

Unit Information for the Unit named. The published content can now be viewed by the public.
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Deactivate an Incident 

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Search > Edit > Uncheck Active > Uncheck Publish

This step is necessary to redirect an incident to another incident or complex. This is also necessary to 

know when an incident needs to be removed from the public facing page due to inactivity, containment, 

or closeout.

Step 1 – Deactivate or Unpublish an Incident 

To search for the incident that requires deactivation, activate the Manage button and then the Content 

button located in the grey menu bar to the right of the Drupal waterdrop (Figure 77), that will open the 

Search page to find the incident. 

Figure 77: To open an incident, activate the Content button to open the Search page.

• If you need help navigating through the Search features to find an incident, refer to the 

“Searching in InciWeb Drupal” section (page 28). 

Step 2 – Searching for the Incident to Edit

In the Content page, if the incident is not listed, type the incident name into the Title field just below the 

“+ Add content” button in the upper left corner of the Content page. Select the Filter button directly 

below to search. Once you locate the incident, select the Edit button on the far right of the Title. This 

will open the Edit Incident page.

Step 3 – Deactivate 

Scroll to the bottom of the incident page, on the left, and uncheck the Active checkbox (Figure 78). 

• If you wish to set up a redirect, visit the Redirect an Incident section (page 43). 

Figure 78: To redirect an incident to another, unselect the Active box and type the other incident into the Redirect Incident box.

To make an incident inaccessible by the public, uncheck the Published checkbox. Once the incident is 

unpublished, the public will see a blank page when they try to access that specific URL. 
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Delete (Do Not Use) 

There are several places inside InciWeb Drupal where deleting content is a function (Figure 79). Do 

not delete any data (e.g. documents, incidents, photos, maps) inside InciWeb Drupal. Data may be

used as reference in the future. 

Figure 79: Delete is a function below Edit. “Do not use.”

By unchecking Publish, your incident will not be viewable to the public. However, that does not mean it 

should be deleted (Figure 80). The incident still needs to be saved. 

Figure 80: Unpublishing an incident does not mean it should be deleted. It should be saved instead.

If the Delete function is accidently selected, a warning will appear at the top of the next page asking if 

you are sure you want to delete the content (Figure 81). Another warning states that the action cannot 

be undone. This should remind you not to use this function. Select Cancel.

Figure 81: The warning: “Are you sure you want to delete the content item Flag 2 (an example)?” 

There are several other actions besides deletion. The other three file tabs are: 

View: Returns the User to the InciWeb Drupal home screen.

Edit: Returns the User back to the Incident page.

Unpublish: The User is taken to the public facing page to see a green banner message that the

Incident “has been set to unpublish.” (Figure 82).

Figure 82: An example of the Unpublish banner.
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Add A New User and Manage Access (Superusers Only) 

Shortcut route: Manage > People > Add User

Only InciWeb Drupal Superusers can add new Users, grant another User access to their respective 

unit, and/or remove/delete User access in InciWeb Administration. If you are a User in InciWeb Drupal, 

you do not have the adequate permissions to add another User. However, if adding another user is 

necessary, contact the Interagency Incident Applications (IIA) Helpdesk at https://iiahelpdesk.nwcg.gov/

or toll free at 1-866-224-7877.

There are two levels in granting access to a new User in InciWeb Drupal that involves permissions and 

role management. 

1. Incident Level: This setting is required when you add a new User. As a Managing Superuser, 

you are giving a new User the ability to login to the application, access to the menu bars, and 

complete all functions within the program. 

2. Unit Level: This is set on the Unit Groups page. As a Managing Superuser, you are giving a 

new User or another Superuser the ability to manage an Incident and Incident Publications 

associated to the host unit.

Note: A new User or Superuser requires both levels of access to be able to successfully 

navigate and work within InciWeb Administration.

Step 1 – Add a New User

To add a new User, select the Manage button in the black navigation bar. When the People button is 

visible in the grey navigation bar, there are two options: 

1. select People, or 

2. select + Add User. 

To enter in a new User, select the People button. This will open the People page (Figure 83). 

Figure 83: If the People page was selected, to add a new User, select the + Add User button in the upper left corner.

As a Superuser, you can still effectively navigate to the Add User page by selecting the + Add User

button in the upper left corner.
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The second option is to hover your cursor over the People button and the Add User menu appears. 

Selecting Add User will take you to the correct page (Figure 84).

Figure 84: To add a user, select the People from the menu header then chose Add user.

Step 2 – Picture (Optional)

As a Superuser you have the option to add a picture of the new User. However, this is not a required 

field and can be skipped.

Figure 85: The required fields necessary to become an iNAP User assigned to a Unit or Level.

Step 3 – Email Address

Enter the email address for the User. This is not a required field. The User’s email address must match 

with the email address used for their iNAP account (page 9, step 3) 

Step 4 – Username and Password (Required Fields)

Including a User’s or Superuser’s email address to a new account is not a required field. It would be 

helpful for correspondence, but it is not required. 

However, to make sure you have chosen the correct User or Superuser to add, match their name with 

their email address. Double-checking their email address will prevent the wrong person with a similar 

email address from being accidently chosen. 

Superusers also need to set-up an initial password for the new User or Superuser and confirm that 

password. Once a password is created, do not share it with anyone else except for the User or 

Superuser it’s intended for. Passwords are Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and should be 

protected by both the User and the Superuser. 

Drupal requires a password to be configured, but all Users will use FAMAuth/iNAP to login. To open an 

Integrated National Application Portal or iNAP password refer to the opening section of this manual

(page 9). 

Step 5 – Status and Roles

There are several options available. New Users should be designated as “Active” (Figure 86). 
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Figure 86: A new User’s status should always be Active.

Managing Superusers are responsible for keeping the Users and other Superusers they manage up to 

date in case an incident develops and the Managing Superuser is unavailable. In the off-season a User 

does not need to remain active. Status is determined by the Managing Superuser. 

Step 6 – Assigning Roles

Managing Superusers assign roles for all Users with access to their unit data in InciWeb Drupal. Check 

the box for Site User or Site Superuser. Both check boxes are, by default, not automatically checked. 

Most Users should be assigned as Site Users. 

Although site Superusers can add other Superusers to manage unit data, the role of Superuser should 

be assigned sparingly because those new Superusers can now add more Superusers. However, only 

the assigning original managing Superuser can manage all the other Superusers. Additional 

Superusers cannot manage the original Superuser.

Step 7 – The Remaining Fields

The next fields from Position to Mobile Phone Number are not required fields. They are optional and 

can be skipped if data is not available. 

Step 8 – Contact Settings

To collaborate with others with in the InciWeb community, Contact Settings should remain checked

(Figure 86). 

Figure 87: By default, to collaborate with others with in the InciWeb community, contact settings should remain checked.

Step 9 – Time Zone

Choose the time zone where the User’s or Superuser’s profile is being established in. 

Step 10 – Create New Account 

When all information is correct, click on the blue Create New Account button. The Add User page will 

refresh, and you will receive a banner message, “Created a new User account for Username” with 

another message stating “No email had been sent.”
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Add a New User and Manage Access (Superusers Only), Part 2 

Shortcut route: Shortcuts > Unit Access > Search Unit > Unit Groups > Members > Add 

Members

Step 1 – Unit Access Page

Now that the managing Superuser has added a new User to InciWeb Drupal, the Superuser must now 

select which unit or units the new User will access. This can change per the home unit, the 

representing agency the incident is on, and/ or the Team assigned to manage it. 

Navigate to “Shortcuts” inside the black menu bar and select. This will open four options: User Help, 

Unit Search, Unit Access, and Incident Publication Search. For managing a User, you need to select 

“Unit Access” third from the left. 

On the Unit groups page, search for the unit you wish to grant the new User access to (Figure 88).

Figure 88: The new User needs to be assigned to a unit before they can access fully into InciWeb Drupal.

Step 2 – Unit Selection

As you type, the field will auto-populate with matching units (Figure 89). 

Figure 89: When searching for a Unit (example, Tonto National Forest) begin typing in the search field until the name auto-populates and 

then Apply.

When the correct unit appears, select it. 

Step 3 – View Unit Group 

Once the correct Unit is listed in the search field, select the blue Apply button. This will take you to a 

view of the Unit Group setup.
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Step 4 – Members

Select the blue Members button, the sixth button from the left, located between after Revision and 

Nodes (Figure 90).

Figure 90: To add a new User or Superuser to the Tonto National Forest, select the “Add Member” button. It has a dot to the left of the 

button to confirm.

Step 5 – Add Members

Click on the “Add member” button. 

Step 6 – Group Membership

In the required field under User, put the potential new User’s or Superuser’s username. In the Roles 

section, there are two options (Figure 91). 

Figure 91: Group membership means designating a role the new User will undertake for the Tonto National Forest.

Either check the box to indicate that the new User will become a Unit Superuser (for the Tonto National 

Forest, as an example) or leave the box unchecked. An unchecked box means that the User will remain 

a User (limited access). Unit Superusers can manage User access to their unit. Members known as 

Users of a unit can edit incidents and incident publications within that designated unit.

Step 7 – Expiration Date

The default “Expiration Date” is 30-days from today access was setup. Select an appropriate expiration 

date depending on how long the User or Superuser needs access. 

If the User/Superuser is a permanent employee who could be creating and editing incidents throughout 

the year, then an expiration date of one-year from the setup date is recommended. Memberships can 

always be renewed or deleted if necessary. 

There is also the option to not set an expiration date. It is not advised to have an indefinite User or 

Superuser.
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Step 8 – Save

Once all the information is completed and checked, select the Save button.

Step 9 – Add Others

After Saving, the page will return to the Unit Groups page. To add another User/superuser repeat the 

same process found at Add a New User/Superuser and Manage Access (Superusers Only), Part 2 on 

page 52. 

Remove a User from a Unit 

Shortcut route: Shortcuts > Unit Access > Search Unit > Unit Groups > Members > Remove

Step 1 – User Groups Page

To remove a User, navigate to the Add a New User and Manage Access (Superusers Only), Part 2 to 

return to the User Groups (page 52). 

Note: This process only removes the User or Superuser from that assigned Unit, not from InciWeb 

Drupal.

Step 2 – Member Retrieval 

After selecting the Unit (e.g., Tonto National Forest), type in the username of the person’s username

(Figure 92).

Figure 92: Type in the User’s name to add or remove access.

Step 3 – View Member

Once the User has been located, a View Member button with a dropdown arrow attached is on the 

right. Select the dropdown arrow.

Step 4 – Remove Member

Three options will appear titled View, Edit, or Remove member after the dropdown arrow was selected. 

• View – To find out what type of access that member has.

• Edit – Here you can change a User’s access (e.g., promote a User to a Superuser, the reverse, 

or both).
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• Remove – This will delete the User from this assigned unit only. It will not delete the User from 

every unit.

Select the Remove Member button.

Step 5 – Double Check

For verification, a screen prompt will ask, “Are you sure you want to delete ‘username’ (e.g., 

Site.User)?” If yes, select the Delete button (Figure 93).

Figure 93: Before selecting the Delete button, make sure this is the correct action. This action cannot be undone.

Although deleting a User from your site cannot be undone, you can add the User back to the unit by 

going through all the “Add User” steps. 

Step 6 – Return

After deleting the User from the Unit, the page will automatically switch back to the Unit members list. 

The deleted User should no longer be listed. 

Deleting a User from InciWeb Drupal 

Shortcut route: Manage > People > Search > Edit > Cancel Account > Confirm

Step 1 – Navigation

To delete a User or Superuser, select the Manage button in the black navigation bar. When the People 

button is visible in the grey navigation bar, there are two options: 

1. Select “People.”

2. Select “Add User.” 

To delete, select the first choice, the People button. This will open the People page (Figure 93). 

Figure 94: To delete a User or Superuser from InciWeb Drupal, navigate to the People page and search for the name or email of that User. 

Select filter when ready.
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Step 2 – Action

Type into the “Name or email contains” field the User’s name or email address that is needing to be 

deleted. There are two options for proceeding. 

a) Where it says Action, select the dropdown arrow on the right, and select the Cancel the selected 

User accounts. Then select Apply to selected items.

b) If searching by “Name or email contains,” select Filter when ready. When finding the 

User/Superuser to delete from the list, select the Edit button. 

Each of the actions above will result in getting to the same page for the person’s username. Once the 

User is in the list below, select the Edit button. 

Step 3 – The User or Superuser Profiles 

Once on the page describing the User’s account details, scroll to the bottom, and select Cancel 

Account (Figure 95).

Figure 95: Once the User has been found and the screen is now at the User’s account, scroll to the bottom and select Cancel Account to 

delete the account from InciWeb Drupal.

Step 4 – Cancellation Method

After selecting the Cancel Account button, the User deleting the account will automatically be taken to 

the page titled, ‘Are you sure you want to cancel the account for (username)?’ Several options are 

available to disable or delete the account (Figure 96).

Figure 96: The third option is the best, because while you might not need the account now, the User may want to reactivate their account 

after an absence and the User will still have control of their data.

This is an explanation of the following Cancelation methods:
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a) Disable the account and keep its contacts and groups: All the data associated with that 

account will remain intact. The profile will be inoperable until it can be reenabled. This works 

best if the User was assigned on a temporary basis and may be reactivated if the need requires.

b) Disable the account and unpublish its content. Does not affect groups: This means that 

the User will not come up in any searches but may remain in a Group if still assigned to one. 

This is another option for those working on a temporary basis who might be reactivated if the 

need arises.

c) Delete the account and make its contents belong to the Anonymous User. This action 

cannot be undone. Reassign its groups to the User administrator: The User account is 

being deleted but not the content they have created (such as incidents or incident publications). 

Incidents created by the deleted User will show up as being created by ‘Anonymous’ in the 

system. 

d) Delete the account, its content, and groups: This completely deletes the User. If they want 

access to InciWeb again, they must be added as a new User. 

e) Require email confirmation (optional): By checking this box, a courtesy email will notify the 

User of their account status (e.g., disabled or deleted).

Step 5 – Confirm

Once the correct cancelation method has been selected, select the blue “Confirm” button to proceed.

Step 6 – Confirmation

The page will automatically be returned to the People page and a green banner will appear at the top 

confirming the account has been deleted (Figure 97).

Figure 97 The confirmation banner that the User account has been deleted.

Group Incidents

Sometimes, incidents are related to other incidents, such as when multiple incidents are occurring on 

the same unit or when multiple incidents are formally organized into a complex of incidents.

The Groups feature enables you to let the public know that incidents have been combined to form a 

group. Coordinate with all involved units and incident management teams, as well as incident or area 

commander, if a group has been established. When creating, editing, and deleting groups, any action 

gets repeated throughout each incident associated in that group. 
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Create an Incident Group and add Incidents

Shortcut route: Manage > Structure > Taxonomy > Incident Groups > List Terms > + Add Term > 

Name > Group Type > Save

Step 1 – Navigation

Start by opening the Manage button, which opens a menu of other choices. Select the Structure button 

(after the raindrop and Content) and the Structure page will open with only one option, Taxonomy. Click 

on Taxonomy, which will refresh the screen with a list of Vocabulary. For this task (creating an Incident 

Group), select the List Terms button below the Operations category on the right side (Figure 98).

Figure 98: To arrange Incident Groups, the User must navigate to the Taxonomy page.

If you just hover over the Structure button, the Taxonomy button will appear. Hover the cursor over 

Taxonomy and the same list of options will appear as in the previous paragraph. Select the Incident 

Groups button.

Regardless of which option a User chooses, both options will lead the User to the exact same location.

Step 2 – Incident Groups

The Incident Groups page has several options. 

• + Add term – To create a new group. If selected, the Add term page will open (Figure 98).

Figure 99: To Add term, this means that a User is creating an incident group to manage more than one incident together.

• Create a name that the group will be distinguished by or referred to. As an example, the name 

used here will be “Practice.” 

• In Group Information, select the Group Type. The choices are:

o Complex: Two or more individual incidents located in the same general area which are 

assigned to a single incident commander or unified command.
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o Related: Incidents being connected either logically or casually or by shared 

characteristics or common origin (rarely used).

o Theater: A region or area that has an active military presence or operations that is 

currently active and ongoing.

o Unified Command: When more than one agency has incident jurisdiction or when 

incidents cross political jurisdictions.

• Published: Choose to leave checked (to be active) or unchecked (to be hidden).

• Relations (Optional): This feature will rearrange the Group Types in a priority ranking. 

Step 3 – Save and go to list

The Save button will save the new Incident Group but keep the Users on the “Incident Groups” page. 

To create additional Incident Groups, select the grey “Save and go to list” button (Figure 99). It will save 

the new Incident Group and bring the User back to the full listing of all Incident Groups. 

Step 4 – Incident Groups

A green banner will confirm “a new term has been created” (Figure 100) where each Incident Group is 

managed. Arranged alphabetically, it can also be arranged by priority too. To change the arrangement

each name has a small cross to its left. 

To change the order, select and hold the arrow and move it up or down into a new location. To reset 

the order, select the “Reset” to alphabetical.

Figure 100: Now that a new term has been created, a User can manage it here on the Incident Groups page.

Step 5 – Edit Incident

To continue, a User will need to navigate to the Edit button for each incident and it will become part of a 

group. To get there quickly, in the top left corner is the arrow pointing left called the “Back to site” button 

(Figure 101).

Figure 101: Select the Back to site button to shortcut back to the Edit Incident list.
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Create an Incident Group and add Incidents, Part 2

Step 6 – Finding Content

Navigate to the Content button by hovering over the Manage button, opening the Content button and 

select. The page will automatically switch to the Content page. If a User does not see the incident they 

want to attach to a Group, type the name into the “Title” field and select Filter (e.g., Flag). This will bring 

up all incidents that match the search criteria (e.g., Incidents with ‘Flag’ in the title). After finding the 

correct incident, choose the Edit button on the right side under Operations (Figure 102). 

Figure 102: Once an incident is located by a Title search, the incident (e.g., Flag) can be edited in the Practice incident group.

Step 7 – Edit Incident

To add the incident to the Incident Group, locate the Incident Groups field on the right side of the Edit 

Incident form. Begin typing in the name of the Group. This is an auto-populating field, and the program 

will attempt to guess what a User would be typing. (Figure 103). Select the Incident Group from the list 

to populate the field. 

Figure 103: Type into the Incident Group field to generate a list of groups which match the entered text.

Step 8 – Save

Scroll to the bottom, check your work, and select the Save button. The incident will be successfully 

added to the Group. The User will be returned to the incident homepage with a confirmation notice 

(Figure 104).
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Figure 104: Incident update confirmation.

The public page will show the Incident Group Type and Incident Group name beneath the Related 

Links and Incident Cooperators (Figure 105).

Figure 105: Public facing view of Incident Groups.

Remove Incident from Incident Group 

Shortcut route: Manage > Content > Search > Edit > Incident Groups > Erase > Save

Step 1 – Navigation

To return to the Group to remove an incident from within a Group, select the Content button from the 

top menu under Manage. If the incident name isn’t visible, type the incident name into the Title field 

located below “+ Add content” button. Select the Filter button to search. Once the incident has been

located, choose the Edit button on the right side of the list under Operations. 

Step 2 – Removing an Incident Group

On the right side of the incident screen, scroll down to the Incident Groups section, just above the 

Social Media Links. To remove the incident, simply erase or clear the contents of the Group field, 

including the reference code (Figure 106). 

Figure 106: To remove an incident from a Group, delete or erase all the content in the Group field.

Step 3 – Save

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the Save button. The incident will be successfully removed 

from the group. The User will be returned to the incident homepage with a confirmation notice.
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Delete an Incident Group

Shortcut route: Manage > Structure > Taxonomy > Incident Group > Edit Group > Delete

Step 1 – Navigation

Open the Manage button and other menu choices. Select the third from the left, Structure (after the 

raindrop and Content). If the Structure button is selected, the Structure page will open with only one 

option will be available to continue further to Taxonomy. 

Select Taxonomy, which will refresh the screen with a list of Vocabulary. This task will delete an 

Incident Group. Select the “List Terms” button, below the Operations category on the right side (Figure 

107).

Figure 107: To delete Incident Groups, the User must navigate to the Taxonomy page. 

If you hover over the Structure button without selecting, the Taxonomy button will appear. Hover the 

cursor over Taxonomy without selecting and the same list of options will appear as in the previous 

paragraph. The seventh choice from the top in the accordion menu (arranged in alphabetical order) is 

Incident Groups. Select the “Incident Groups” button.

Regardless of which option a User chooses, both options will lead the User to the same location within

the Taxonomy page. You will see the full list of Incident Groups. 

Step 2 – Incident Group Selection

There are two choices for deleting a Group.

a) Locate the Incident Group you wish to delete (e.g., Practice) and select the down arrow to the 

right of the Edit button. Selecting the down arrow will reveal the Delete button. Select it. 

b) Select the Edit button. The Edit term form will automatically open. At the bottom of the page is a 

Delete button to select.

Step 3 – Delete

Before completing the delete action, the User will be prompted to check if this action is correct (Figure 

108). The top of the page states, “Are you sure you want to delete the taxonomy term Practice (the 

Incident Group Name)?” If this is correct, select the Delete button.

Figure 108: To delete Incident Groups, the User must navigate to the Taxonomy page.
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Step 4 – Confirmation

The User will receive a banner message at the top of the Incident Group page, ‘Deleted term for 

Incident Group Name.’ The group will no longer be in the list of Incident Groups (Figure 109).

Figure 109: Confirmation the Incident Group has been deleted from list of other incident groups.
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Appendix A

NWCG Data Standard Metadata Definitions and Values

Published on the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) website: 

https://www.nwcg.gov/data-standards/approved/incident-name

Incident Name:

Abbreviation or Acronym: n/a 

Data Exchange Name: Incident Name 

Also Known As: n/a 

Short Description: The name assigned to an incident. 

Controls:

Collection, Validation, and Exchange Rules:

1. Historical records in their native, authoritative applications are not expected to be transformed to 

retroactively apply this newest version of the data standard. But, for any data exchange where those 

native, historical records are shared with other applications, it is expected that incident names will 

conform to this standard or otherwise suffer the consequences of non-compatibility. 

2. Incident Name must be two or more alpha-numeric characters in length. 

3. Incident Name is a required data element upon submit (create) of an incident record for data exchange. 

1. Syntax guidelines:

a. Incident Name must be two or more alpha-numeric characters in length. 

b. The name may be comprised of any combination of letters, numerals, and limited special 

characters. 

c. Allowable special characters are limited to the following: . (period), / (forward slash), : (colon), ‘ 

(apostrophe), # (hashtag), & (ampersand), ( (left parenthesis), ) (right parenthesis), - (hyphen), –

(dash), _ (underscore), and ~ (tilde). Note that comma is used in the preceding list only to 

separate list elements (comma is NOT an allowable character in Incident Names). 

d. Certain non-permissible symbols (e.g. ! $ * ; , | “ ? ) are disallowed because they are commonly 

used as data delimiters or operators in data queries. 

e. Contributing applications are encouraged to reserve the use of the tilde symbol to replace any 

non-allowed characters or symbols to achieve conformance with this data standard. 

f. No leading or trailing spaces shall be allowed, nor multiple consecutive spaces between other 

characters and symbols. 
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g. Letters comprising the Incident Name may be mixed case, upper case, or all lower case; the case 

used will be preserved in exchange. 

2. Incident naming principles and specific recommendations for naming wildfires: 

a. In the absence of any other naming protocol (such as those used for tropical storms and hurricanes), 

incident names should reference the area or location of the incident. 

i. Fires should be named after geographic locations or nearby landmarks. 

ii. When fires are named after highways or streets, consider including the nearest mile marker 

number or cross-street in the fire name (ex: “Hwy50 MM121” or “Ventura-Myrtle”) to more 

precisely describe the location. 

b. Incident names should be relatively unique. 

i. Avoid re-using the same fire name on a given jurisdiction in a given year. If needed, append a 

number to a fire name to ensure uniqueness (ex: “Arch Rock”, “Arch Rock 2” if there are 2 

fires near the same feature in the same year). 

ii. Avoid naming any new fire with a name that is already used for a fire currently reported on 

the national Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR) or other significant, active fires at 

the local or Geographic Area level. 

c. Incident names should be concise.

i. Do not include “Fire” or “WF” in a fire’s name. The incident’s Event Kind classification of 

“Fire” (FI) and Event Category classification of “Wildfire” (WF) denote this information, so 

it is redundant to include in the fire name. 

ii. Unless needed for clarity, do not include words that are generic feature descriptors added to 

the referenced place used for the fire name. For example, consider the shorter name 

“Kincaid” (vs “Kincaid Peak”), “Little Blue” (vs “Little Blue Creek”), “Magnolia” (vs 

“Magnolia Drive”), etc. 

iii. Avoid using words in the fire name that are esoteric, non-descriptive, or otherwise 

unimportant to the wildland fire management community as a whole (ex: Do not include the 

word "Command" in a wildfire name, which formerly was a common practice for wildfires 

reported by VFDs and municipal firefighting organizations). 

d. Incident names should reflect professionalism, sensitivity, good taste, and common sense. 

i. Avoid naming fires with words that may be deemed offensive to certain groups or 

communities or appear insensitive in context to recent or current social or political events. 

Note that some geographic features and places retain names that are now considered 

offensive or controversial, making them inappropriate for use in fire names.
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ii. Avoid naming fires with words that are considered slang; using inappropriate figures of 

speech, tropes, double entrendres, or other wordplay; or are otherwise construed as 

unprofessional. 

iii. Avoid naming fires with words that are potentially prophetic, hyperbolical, or distastefully 

descriptive, such as "Deadman", “Conflagration”, “Firestorm”, etc. 

iv. Avoid re-using any fire name that is already associated with any historic, catastrophic fire, 

such as those fires where fatalities or significant property losses occurred. 

e. Incidents names should not include words associated with personal or protected information. 

i. A fire should not be named after a person, aside from a historical person’s name used for a 

location or feature that is otherwise suitable for the fire name. 

ii. A fire should not be named after private property, a business or commercial entity, an 

organization, a brand, a product, or using any words that are protected by a trademark or 

copyright. Following are examples of inappropriate fire names: “Bar T Ranch”, “Super 8”, 

“YMCA Camp”, “Jeep”, “Cheeto”, or “Batman”. 

f. Incident names should not identify responsible parties or otherwise imply culpability or liability. 

i. Fires should not be named after the known/suspected party, person, or event that caused 

them, such as “BNSF 1”, “Davidson Field Burning”, “Youth Group BBQ”, “Crow Fair”, etc.

ii. Fires should not be named after their known/suspected ignition source, especially if it implies 

liability, such as “Powerline”, “Pipeline”, “Fence Welder”, etc. 

iii. Fire cause and trespass information should be recorded in their respective data fields so 

including this information in the fire name is unnecessary and redundant. 

g. If there is any doubt whatsoever about the appropriateness of a proposed or existing incident name, 

assign a different name. 

i. Note: For the IMSR and other external-facing documents, any fire that is deemed to be 

inappropriately named or potentially offensive will be identified using the fire’s Unique Fire 

Identifier (ex: 2019-AKMEA-000045) instead of the fire name. 

ii. In the modern data exchange environment, fires can be renamed if needed, with the new 

name shared/updated in integrated applications. However, it is best to rename a fire as early 

in the life of the incident as possible to minimize confusion and impacts. For reference, the 

original fire name should be noted in the comments/remarks section of the fire report. 

3. Guidelines for naming Incident Complexes:

a. If the incident type is a Complex, then the word “Complex” must be used in the Incident Name 

(ex: “Platte Complex”). 
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b. A Complex of wildfires must not share the name of any of its constituent fires (ex: a Complex 

comprised of the “Faithful” fire and “Mammoth” fire should not be named either “Faithful 

Complex” or “Mammoth Complex”, but could be named the “Geyser Complex”).

Data Type: String (50) 

Case Sensitivity: No (we do not enforce using upper- or lower-case letters - names are not case sensitive) 

Minimum Length: 2 

Maximum Length: 50 

Format/Example: X (50) 

Valid Values: Not applicable – there is not a domain list of permissible values for this data element. 

Sensitivity Level: n/a 

Steward: Fire Reporting Subcommittee 

NWCG Data Standard Metadata Definitions and Values

Version 2: (Note this version supersedes the standard from August 15, 2008).

For further information on the NWCG Data Standard Metadata Definitions and Values, Version 2

publication. Select or copy and paste the following link into your preferred web browser.

https://www.nwcg.gov/data-standards/approved/incident-name
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Appendix B

NWCG Standards for Electronic Documentation (eDoc)

A publication of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, July 2022

Excerpt taken from Information section, Page 16 

Electronic File Naming Convention Standards:

The electronic file naming conventions were adapted from the NWCG Incident Planning 

Committee’s 2018 recommendation for: Information Officers

• PSA_2021MMDD_SmokeOutlook_000NNN 2021MMDD_DOA_Signed_000NNN use INFO TYPE as 

DocVersion

• CloseOrds_2021MMDD_MBRTBOrder275_000NNN NarrExecSum_2021MMDD_000NNN use 

RESTRICTION ORDER NUMBER as DocVersion

• FireRestrictions_2021MMDD_MBRTBOrder275_000NNN IMTTransDbrf_2021MMDD_000NNN use 

RESTRICTION ORDER NUMBER as DocVersion

• InfoSummCommStrat_2021MMDD_000NNN

• ContactLog_2021MMDD_Media_000NNN use PUBLIC, MEDIA, or TRAPLINE as DocVersion

• MediaRelDalyUpdate_2021MMDD_000NNN

• NewsClips_2021MMDD_NYTimes_000NNN use NEWS AGENCY as DocVersion

• PubMtgAgendas_2021MMDD_CentralHS_000NNN

• PubMtgNotes_2021MMDD_CentralHS_000NNN 

• PubMtgBrfs_2021MMDD_CentralHS_000NNN use PUBLIC MEETING LOCATION as DocVersion

• SpecEvntsToursVIPs_2021MMDD_1_000NNN use 1,2,3 etch FOR MULTIPLE DOCS PER DAY as 

DocVersion

• ThnkYouLtrs_2021MMDD_List_000NNN use KIND OF DOCUMENT DocVersion

• WebPgs_2021MMDD_YouTube_000NNN use WEBSITE NAME as DocVersion

• Videos_2021MMDD_HeavyEquip_000NNN use DESCRIPTION as DocVersion

• Photos_2021MMDD_AirOps_000NNN use DESCRIPTION as DocVersion

For further information on the NWCG Standards for Electronic Documentation (eDoc) publication. Select 

or copy and paste the following link into your preferred web browser.

https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pms277.pdf