You've been attached to an incident

If your phone tells you that you have been attached to an incident, it is because TacBot worked out you were the nearest available unit on a mobile duty. Your phone shows the incident and how far away it is, so you know straight away what you are being sent to and roughly how long it will take to get there.

Note: this only happens if your account has the Mobile Response feature and you are on a Mobile Duty — not on a normal shift at a fixed site.

It only happens on a Mobile Duty

You will only ever be auto-attached like this while you are on a Mobile Duty — covering several sites in a shift rather than standing post at one venue. If you are working a post at a site, TacBot will not pull you off it. This is not something that can happen to a guard standing a fixed post.

Why you and not someone else

TacBot picks the nearest officer first, working out distance as the crow flies from the site. It does not know about traffic, road closures, or which route is actually quickest — so once you are on your way, use your own judgement on the best route rather than assuming the distance shown is the drive time.

Your status matters

Set yourself to On Break or Unavailable whenever you are not free to respond, and TacBot will skip you when it is choosing who to send. If you are marked Available, you are in the running to be attached to the next incident that comes in near you.

You are told, not asked

Being attached to an incident is not a request you can decline from your phone — you are told, not asked. If something means you genuinely cannot attend, tell your dispatcher straight away, exactly as you would for any other shout.

If your phone has not had signal

TacBot only considers officers whose phone has reported a recent position. If your signal has been patchy and your phone has not been able to check in, TacBot may skip you even if you are close by and available — so it is worth keeping the app open and your connection in mind while you are on a Mobile Duty.