Activate a structured breakout room
A structured breakout room mirrors your Incident Command System (ICS) org chart. The section lead activates the room, and everyone assigned to that section joins automatically. No invite list to build, no one forgotten. Use structured rooms for section-specific collaboration in your Virtual Emergency Operations Centre (VEOC) session; for anything the incident improvises, use an ad-hoc room.
Unlike ad-hoc rooms, membership follows the org chart: assign positions and the rooms staff themselves.
Before you start
Requires an IAP licence. You must hold the matching section lead role to activate a room; an Incident Commander activates the Unified Command room, an Operations Section Chief activates the Operations room. Assign section positions first: Assign and edit positions.
Steps
In the Forum, open the breakout room panel and choose Structured Room.
Select the structured room you want to activate, for example Operations.
Click Activate. Every user position that belongs to the section is added to the room as a participant automatically.
Once activated, a structured room cannot be deactivated. It runs for the life of the session.
On mobile: open the left-hand menu, select Breakout Rooms, tap the (+) icon, and choose Activate a Structured Room.
Manage a structured room
Membership is governed by the org chart, so management differs from ad-hoc rooms:
Admins and Team Lead positions can add non-section members, including Observers. Useful for bringing a scribe into a command discussion.
Section members cannot be removed. Access is granted by position; users holding a role within the section stay in the room.
Cross-posting and message sharing work exactly as in ad-hoc rooms: Manage and close a breakout room.
Timing
Build your structured rooms early, as you set up the org chart and assign roles. The room is only as complete as the positions behind it, so keep the org chart current.