Just a thought:
For the IA Template, can the approximate date / time started be added to that? I feel like often times fires can be added well after they start because people wait until good intel is obtained, but those of us not listening or in the general area don’t know that the fire is actually a few hours old once the first post is placed.
Thanks for listening!
Also, so grateful for this site and the void it replaced! VERY well done 
Seems like a good idea.
Doesn’t the minute/hour/day stamp on every post do that???
That covers when it was posted, not when the fire was first reported. Some slower areas it takes some time to get an ia thread started, and it would be good to know when the fire was actually reported, not just when an ia thread was posted.
It was never an issue on the old site. I think as this site grows with more members posting in the IA, new fires will be posted very soon after the start. IMO…other details as far as the fire goes are way more important than if it started at 1330 or 1345 hours. Just my .02
I think there are areas of the country (and even some areas in California) where the old site had the same issue. Not as often, and I agree that the problem will mitigate as the site grows. Remote areas will always be hard to get timely Intel from.
As I stated…most of the IA post with the template are already left 80% blank. Posters are so hell bent on being the 1st to post that they don’t take the time to add most of the pertinent info. Adding another slot on the template for time of fire is just another piece of info that will be left out on most IA post.
That is fair. I think if we could get people to wait to post an ia until there is enough info, then those fields would be more valuable. This site seems to be looser with the IA pasts. I think I may have seen a utl get an IA thread. What was the old rule? It had to have someone on scene with a size up and potential. At that point, there should be enough info to populate most of the fields.
Agreed on the looseness of the site. I tried not to ever be a bully on the old site but several things that just drive me nuts are ok on this site so far. ie…Any updates?? or “what’s the fire doing??” or “what’s in ROSS, im sitting at my station watching trucks go by but no me!!” Or my favorite…Gulf ST’s. People…it is a GOLF ST. Ok I’m off my soapbox.
Did that happen about a minute after my post?
I do hate the “any updates?” posts. People are racing each other to post updates first, if someone had an update it would be posted already. Except for maybe remote fires where someone needs to remember to check on them and post every once in a while. Usually nobody asks much about those anyway…
Edit: And of course it is golf… Check the standard international phoenitic alphabet, it is even in the IRPG. I am with you there 100% @MVUFirePhotographer
However let me say this. I was a member of the old site for 10 years and was on it a lot to check status and get informed on not just fires in MVU, but all over the state. I am so very thankful this site was formed to fill a void in many of our lives. As time goes on and members get more familiarized with the site and certain posting protocols, I have no doubt this site will flourish!!!
Thank you to all involved who worked tirelessly to make this site happen and I for one hopes it can take off and be even better than the old one!!!
One other thought. If you are looking at the site on a browser on your phone, try the dark theme. If you have any sort of oled screen, it will save battery. It is less harsh for me to look at at night too.
Edit: I seem to have wandered way off topic. I apologize.
I always try to wait for others to fill in before I post anything. I hate having my name in lights more than necessary but I also don’t want to withhold info.
One nice feature is that I can see if somebody else is already typing. If I see that I will wait a while before posting to see if they are going to post the same info.
(I also get a little annoyed by “Squirrel Hollow VFD just got punched out for single increment Type 3” posts to a fire that is already blowing and going)
Hey that hurts!
And in my defense, that is all I got at the time I posted. But as you read the rest of the posts, others “got the page out” and started to listen in and fill the post. It’s called team work and that is what this is suppose to be al about.
Never imagined my simple post about an idea to maybe better this site in some minuscule way would turn into such a debate, including something I posted getting removed … 
So how about adding the fire’s start date and time to the IA Template… eh?