Dispatch Headquarters
Dispatch Operations
Manual
Computer-Aided Dispatch System — Field Reference Guide
“Know the system. Serve the city. File the paperwork.”
Accessing CAD
How to find and open the dispatch console from anywhere on the site
The CAD system is publicly viewable by all citizens. Look for the dispatch icon in the top navigation bar on every page. Clicking it opens the Unified Dispatch Center at /cad, which shows all active calls across every department. Hovering over the icon (or tapping on mobile) reveals a dropdown with links to individual department views.
Public Viewing
Anyone can view the dispatch feed — no department membership required. Unauthenticated visitors see limited information (status, location, department tags, and time only). Signed-in citizens see full call details. Department membership is only required to respond to calls, change status, or chat.
What is CAD?
The nerve center of BugsVille emergency and municipal services
CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) is the centralized dispatch system used by all BugsVille service departments to receive, manage, and respond to citizen service calls. The entire dispatch feed is publicly viewable — any citizen can see active calls across the city.
When a citizen files a service call, it appears in the CAD system for the tagged departments. Calls can involve multiple departments — for example, a traffic accident might tag BPD, DOT, and BFD simultaneously so all three can see and respond. Dispatchers and responders can view active calls on a live operations map, assign themselves, communicate via a Discord-synced chat thread, and track call status through resolution.
The Unified Dispatch Center shows all active calls across every department in one view, with filter pills to focus on specific departments. Each department also has its own dedicated CAD workspace for focused operations.
Additional departments can be added to a call at any time by responders using the “Add Department” button — no need to file a separate call.
Access: The CAD dispatch feed is publicly viewable by all citizens. Anyone can see active calls, their status, and which departments are involved. Department membership (BPD, DOT, BFD, BCT) is required to respond to calls, update statuses, or communicate in call threads.
Filing a Service Call
How citizens request help from city services
Select Departments
Navigate to the service call page. Select one or more departments you need help from — BPD, DOT, BFD, or BCT. You can tag multiple departments for incidents that need coordinated response (e.g., an accident needing police + DOT + fire).
Request HelpDescribe Your Situation
Provide your location and a description of what's happening. Pick a category from the primary department. The system captures your live GPS coordinates so responders can find you.
Submit & Wait
Your call enters the dispatch queue for all tagged departments. A Discord thread is created for communication, and in-game announcements notify each department. When a responder is assigned, you'll be notified.
Discord Integration
Every service call creates a private Discord thread in the department's channel. The caller and assigned responders can communicate there in real time. Messages sync both ways — chat in Discord or on the website and it appears in both places.
The Dispatch Console
Two ways to view and manage incoming calls
Dashboard View
Default operational mode
The primary dispatch interface. Features a live operations map on the left showing caller locations as pins, with a call queue sidebar on the right organized by status — pending calls at top, active (en route / on scene) in the middle, recently resolved at bottom.
List View
Full call log with filters
A comprehensive filterable list of all calls. Search by location or description, filter by status, and sort by time. Ideal for reviewing history, finding specific incidents, or managing a large queue of calls.
Switching views: Toggle between Dashboard and List using the buttons in the top-right corner of any department CAD page. Your selected view persists as you navigate between calls.
Unified Dispatch Center: The /cad page shows all active calls across every department in a single list view with department filter pills. Use the colored pills at the top to focus on specific departments. This is the best view for dispatchers who monitor multiple departments.
Call Lifecycle
Every service call moves through a defined status progression
Pending
Call has been filed and is waiting for a responder to pick it up. Dispatchers see these at the top of the queue.
En Route
Automatically set when a responder assigns themselves to the call. An in-game announcement notifies the caller that help is on the way.
On Scene
The responder has arrived at the caller's location. The system auto-detects arrival based on proximity — no manual update needed.
Resolved
The call has been handled and closed. It moves to the resolved section and is factored into analytics.
The system automatically detects when a responder arrives on scene based on GPS proximity to the caller. No manual status update required — it just happens.
When a responder is assigned to a call, an in-game chat announcement notifies the caller so they know help is on the way. The responder's name and department are included.
Call Detail View
Everything you need to manage an individual call
Individual Call Page
Click any call in the dashboard or list to open its detail page. This is where responders manage the full lifecycle of a service call — from reading the initial report to marking it resolved.
Chat Thread
Every call has a live chat thread synced to a private Discord thread. Callers and responders can communicate in real time. Messages posted on the website appear in Discord and vice versa.
Internal Notes
Responders can add internal notes visible only to department members — not the caller. Use these for coordination, observations, or case details that don't need to be shared with the public.
Calls can involve multiple departments simultaneously. The call header shows colored department badges for each tagged service. Responders from any tagged department can assign themselves, communicate in the chat thread, and update the call status.
Use the “Add Department” button to tag additional departments on an existing call. The new department is notified via Discord and in-game chat, and their members can immediately start responding. No separate call needed.
Discord Integration
Manage calls directly from Discord without opening the website
Every service call automatically creates a private Discord thread in your department's dispatch channel. You can work the entire call from Discord — assign yourself, update the status, chat with the caller, and resolve it — without ever opening the website.
Threads are visible to all members of the relevant department. To see active calls, just hover over your dispatch channel in Discord and you'll see the open threads listed. Each thread is named after the service and call ID (e.g. police-call-a1b2c3d4).
When a call is resolved, the thread is automatically deleted after a few seconds to keep the channel clean.
Dispatch Channels
What You Can Do From Discord
Each thread has interactive buttons at the top. No slash commands needed — just click.
Assign Yourself
Click the assign button to take the call. The call status auto-advances to En Route, an in-game announcement notifies the caller, and you're added to the thread.
Update Status
Use the status dropdown to change the call to En Route, On Scene, or back to Pending. Status changes sync to the website in real time and notify the caller.
Resolve the Call
Mark the call as resolved when complete. The thread is automatically deleted after a few seconds and the call moves to the resolved log on the website.
Messages posted in the Discord thread appear on the website call page, and messages posted on the website appear in the thread. Both directions sync instantly — use whichever is more convenient.
The person who filed the call also gets a resolve button in the thread. If they feel their issue is handled, they can close it themselves without waiting for a responder.
Account linking required: To use the Discord buttons, your Discord account must be linked to your Steam ID. If it's not linked, the bot will let you know when you try to interact.
Dispatch Analytics
Performance metrics for every service department
Dispatch Performance Bureau
Each department's CAD page includes an Analytics tab with comprehensive performance data. The public Dispatch Analytics page aggregates data across all departments for city-wide transparency.
Field Operations Tips
Best practices for dispatchers and responders
For Citizens Filing Calls
- Be specific about your location — the more detail, the faster the response
- Tag all the departments you need — you can select multiple when filing a call
- Stay in the area after filing — responders track your live GPS
- Use the Discord thread to communicate updates while you wait
For Responders
- Assign yourself before heading out so other responders know the call is covered
- The system auto-detects your arrival on scene — no need to manually update status
- Use internal notes for department-only observations the caller shouldn't see
- Use 'Add Department' to tag additional departments when a call needs multi-agency response
Dashboard Efficiency
- Use Dashboard view for real-time situational awareness with the map
- Switch to List view when you need to search or filter through call history
- Pending calls appear at the top of the queue — prioritize those first
- Toggle the map off on smaller screens to see more call cards
Communication
- Chat syncs between the website and Discord — use whichever is more convenient
- Keep the caller informed about your ETA and status
- Mark calls as resolved promptly so the queue stays clean for others
- Internal notes are great for shift handoff information