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Stage 3: Configure Units & Radio

Written by Trish Griffin
Updated today

General Overview

Now it’s time to set up the Units & Radio side of your simulation — this is where you define who is on the air and how they talk.

Creating Your Channels

Start by creating a Channel Name that matches how your agency actually operates. Channels are basically groups of radio units. Common examples are “Main Dispatch,” “Fire Operations,” “Law North,” or “EMS Tac.”

When you first create the scenario, the system will automatically generate some channels and assign units to them. Don’t worry — you can change everything later.

You can rename channels, add or remove them, and decide exactly which units belong to which channel.

Important note: You need at least one channel to run the simulation. Each channel will show the list of units assigned to it and the text-to-speech voice assigned to that channel

Voice Assignments

Every channel gets its own AI voice. You can preview any voice before you assign it. Just a heads-up: the very first time you preview a specific voice, it may take 5–10 seconds to load. After that, previews are much faster.

How Channels Actually Affect the Simulation

Channels aren’t just for organization — they change how the radio traffic behaves in realistic ways:

  • Unit Locking Units on the same channel are “locked” for dispatch until an earlier unit journey for that same incident has been released. However, if two units are on the same channel but working different incidents, they are not locked — they can both be dispatched at the same time.

  • Stepping on Transmissions Units on the same channel will respect each other and wait their turn (they won’t talk over one another). Units on different channels, on the other hand, can step on each other just like they sometimes do in real life when multiple talk groups are busy.

Configuring Radio Channels & Voice Preview

You’ll have access to a wide variety of AI voices to choose from. Each voice has its own unique tone, pacing, and level of emotion — so you can pick ones that feel right for your dispatchers and the type of calls you’re simulating.

To test a voice: you will select the voice from the list, click the Preview Voice button, then listen to a short sample to make sure it fits the scenario you have in mind.

Step-by-Step Illustrated Guide

Configure Units & Radio

Unit Journeys

Edit Unit Journeys Steps - Select Unit Journey 1 by clicking on it, or click the down arrow

Journey Steps - Overview

  • Trigger Type - Select from the dropdown list: When a unit is dispatched (On Dispatch), At a specific time (At Time) Relative to a previous step. This greatly influences the runtime behavior of this unit. See step below for detail.

  • Description - Type in a description of this Journey Step. This allows a quick glance for an author to understand the point of this step. For example, you can start with “arrives” or “en route,” etc.

  • Delay after Dispatch - This is only applicable if using relative triggers. Indicate how long after the associated step to execute this one. Important to tell the ‘real’ story in how a unit would evolve in their real-world activities.

  • Message - Specify exactly what you want the unit to say/transmit in this step. The unit will say this like a scripted caller.

Trigger Types - Instructions

  • When unit is dispatched (On Dispatch)

    • This trigger tells the system “only allow this step for this unit to happen if the dispatcher at runtime dispatches this unit. By “dispatches this unit” we mean that dispatch tells this unit that they are to proceed/handle/take on the incident. They do not have to say “dispatching you” or use the word “dispatch”. But they do have to give the AI unit some kind of verbal (just like in reality) indication that they are ‘sending them’ on the incident.

    • Application

      • You don’t want that particular step to happen unless the dispatcher initiates the dispatch.

      • Most of the time would be the first step of that unit's journey.

      • Should only ever be used once on that unit’s journey.

  • At a specific time (At Time)

    • This trigger tells the system “execute this step at this specific time from the incident start regardless of any previous steps, anything the dispatcher says or does”

    • Application - when to use this trigger type

      • Use when, regardless of anything happening, this step will happen at this time.

      • Use if you want the dispatcher to hear and see units on their own going about their activities,

      • Use as a first step if trying to allow the unit to do something ahead of the dispatcher even being aware of them (e.g. unit transmitting that they are in the area and are available to assist).

      • Use with caution, because, being based on incident start time, this trigger has no ‘relation’ to anything else. If the dispatcher delays a step, or speeds up a step happening before this configured one, this step will still happen at the fixed time.

  • Relative to a previous step (Relative)

    • This triggers tells the system “execute this step X seconds after the step I tell you”. Meaning, it correlates an earlier step that unit had, gives the system association to this next one. The association is time from an earlier step that unit took.

    • Application - when to use this trigger type

      • Use when you want a step to only happen if the previous step is executed. This is very powerful as it prevents the units from just going about the simulation on their own, even if a previous step never happened. This helps keep the scenario more “real” world. For example, if step 1 for the unit was “dispatcher” trigger, and dispatcher failed to dispatch the unit, that unit would not execute any steps and be silent the whole simulation.

      • Use when it could be easier on authoring to understand when this step will happen as you are correlating it with a time based on a different action, versus the entire incident time.

      • Use when you can relate it to any previous step that unit took.

AI Generating Incident - wait

  • Status message appears letting you know that the AI is Generating your Incident

Requirements met

  • Message: “Based on your incident configuration, you need to configure X units. Currently configured: X units”

  • If your units configured do not match, add or delete units.

Click Save

Scenario will update

Success Message

Save

  • Click Save again to save Stage 3 data

Exit

  • Exit by clicking the X in the top right corner

Search for a RADIO Scenario

Search for your RADIO Scenario

  • Use the Search Tool to find your scenario

  • Type in key words, such as “Car Chase” into the Search Field

Sort Scenarios by Type

  • Click the Filter (funnel) Icon to view available filters.

  • Sorting your list of scenarios by Type will allow you to browse all RADIO scenarios together.

Manage Scenarios

  • Click the Three Dots to open the menu

    • Assign to User (available if the scenario is put into a coaching content record)

    • View Changes (take a look at what you have edited)

    • Copy Scenario (Duplicate an existing Scenario so you can modify into another experience)

    • Delete (permanently remove this scenario from your collection)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find an unfinished scenario I have been working on?

Go to your list of Scenarios

  • Type a key word into the Search Field (Example: Car)

  • Locate your scenario

  • Click the “three dots” to View Changes, Copy Scenario, Delete, etc.

  • Click on the scenario name

  • Scenario will re-open for editing

  • Optional: Filter by Type in the Type Column (example: RadioV2)

  • Note: Assigning to a user is only available if you are assigning content. So if the scenario has not been created as content, it will not be assignable.

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