Positions & Ranks
Positions and Ranks help define your agency's organizational structure. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes.
A position is a label, such as Team Leader or Medical Officer. It doesn't give anyone access to anything in RAM. What a member can do comes from Access Roles. See Roles & Permissions.
| Feature | Positions | Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Name the jobs members hold | Define seniority or hierarchy levels |
| Per Member | Multiple (a member can hold several positions) | Single (one rank per member) |
| Examples | Team Leader, Medical Officer, K9 Handler | Member, Senior Member, Captain |
| Organization | Grouped by category | Ordered by seniority level |
- Use Positions for jobs: "What does this person do?"
- Use Ranks for hierarchy levels: "Where does this person fall in the chain of command?"
Accessing Positions & Ranks
- In the left-hand menu, select Agency, then Agency Settings on the top bar.
- Stay on Agency Config and select the Positions or Ranks page.
Only Agency Admins can change positions and ranks.
Both pages work the same way: one row per item with its name, a short description, how many members hold it, an Available switch that reads Enabled or Disabled, and edit and remove icons. Use the search box and the All / Enabled / Disabled filter above the list to find things. On the edit form the same choice is called Offered to members.
Changes to the switch save on their own. Name and description are edited in a small window with a Save button.
Standard items come from RAM. Their names are fixed and they cannot be removed, but you can turn off any your agency does not use. Items you add are called custom and can be edited or removed.
Positions
Positions name the jobs within your organization. A team member can hold multiple positions simultaneously (e.g., "Team Leader" and "Medical Officer").
Position Categories
Positions are organized into categories for easier management:
| Category | Typical Positions |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Chief, Deputy Chief, Commander |
| Operations | Team Leader, Squad Leader, Field Coordinator |
| Training | Training Officer, Instructor, Evaluator |
| Administrative | Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator |
| Logistics | Equipment Manager, Quartermaster, Fleet Manager |
| Safety | Safety Officer, Risk Manager |
| Communications | Communications Officer, Public Information Officer |
| Medical | Medical Officer, EMS Coordinator, First Aid Lead |
| Other | Any position that doesn't fit above categories |
Creating a Position
- Go to Agency → Agency Settings → Agency Config → Positions.
- Select Add custom position.
- Fill in the form:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | The title members will see (e.g., "Team Leader") |
| Description | No | Explain the role's responsibilities |
| Category | Yes | Groups related positions in the list |
| Offered to members | Yes | On means members can be given this position |
- Select Save.
If your list is empty, the page offers a button to add the standard positions.
Position Examples by Agency Type
Search & Rescue Team
| Position | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Search Team Leader | Leadership | Leads ground search operations |
| Medical Officer | Medical | Provides medical oversight and care |
| K9 Handler | Operations | Works with search dogs |
| Communications Officer | Communications | Manages radio communications |
| Training Coordinator | Training | Schedules and tracks training |
Fire Department
| Position | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Chief | Leadership | Department head |
| Captain | Leadership | Shift or station commander |
| Lieutenant | Leadership | Assistant shift supervisor |
| Engineer | Operations | Apparatus operator |
| Firefighter | Operations | Line firefighter |
| Safety Officer | Safety | Scene safety oversight |
EMS Agency
| Position | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Director | Leadership | Medical oversight authority |
| Shift Supervisor | Leadership | Manages daily operations |
| Paramedic | Operations | Advanced life support provider |
| EMT | Operations | Basic life support provider |
| Quality Assurance | Administrative | Reviews call reports |
Editing Positions
- Select the edit icon (pencil) on the position's row.
- Change the fields (a standard position's name is locked).
- Select Save.
A renamed position shows its new name everywhere it appears, including member profiles.
Turning Off vs. Removing
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Set Available to Disabled | Hides the position from the choices when assigning, but keeps it. Members who already hold it keep it. |
| Remove (trash icon) | Removes a custom position for good. Only possible when no member holds it. |
If a position is in use, the trash icon is disabled and its tooltip says how many members hold it. Standard positions have no trash icon. Recommendation: turn off positions you no longer use instead of removing them.
Import & Export
Open the ⋮ (More actions) menu beside Add custom position:
- Export positions (CSV) downloads every position.
- Import positions (CSV) uploads a CSV with the columns Name, Description, Category, and Is Active. A row whose name matches an existing position updates it; any other row adds a new position. Rows with a missing name or an unknown category are skipped, and the import tells you what it skipped.
Ranks have no import or export.
Ranks
Ranks define the hierarchy or seniority levels within your organization. Each team member can have only one rank at a time.
How Rank Order Works
Ranks are listed from most senior at the top to least senior at the bottom. Use the up and down arrows at the left of a row to move a rank. There are no numbers to type.
Creating a Rank
- Go to Agency → Agency Settings → Agency Config → Ranks.
- Select Add custom rank.
- Enter a Name, an optional Description, and choose whether it is Offered to members.
- Select Save.
- Use the arrows to put the new rank where it belongs. New ranks start at the bottom.
Rank Examples by Agency Type
Search & Rescue Team
| Rank | Description |
|---|---|
| Team Leader | Overall team authority |
| Assistant Team Leader | Second in command |
| Senior Member | Experienced searcher |
| Field Member | Trained field responder |
| Support Member | Base operations support |
| Trainee | In training program |
Fire Department
| Rank | Description |
|---|---|
| Chief | Department head |
| Deputy Chief | Assistant department head |
| Battalion Chief | Multi-station supervisor |
| Captain | Station/shift commander |
| Lieutenant | Company officer |
| Firefighter | Line firefighter |
| Probationary | New hire in training |
Volunteer Organization
| Rank | Description |
|---|---|
| Director | Board director |
| Coordinator | Program coordinator |
| Senior Volunteer | 2+ years experience |
| Volunteer | Active volunteer |
| New Member | Recently joined |
Editing Ranks
- Select the edit icon (pencil) on the rank's row.
- Change the fields (a standard rank's name is locked).
- Select Save.
Removing Ranks
Custom ranks can be removed with the trash icon, but only if no member holds the rank. The tooltip shows how many members hold it. Standard ranks cannot be removed. To retire one, set Available to Disabled instead.
Assigning Positions & Ranks to Members
Positions and Ranks are assigned when editing a team member's profile.
How to Assign
- Open the roster: Agency (left menu), then Roster on the top bar.
- Open the team member to edit.
- In the Agency membership section, find Rank and Positions:
| Field | Selection Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Single dropdown | Select one rank or "None" |
| Positions | Multi-select | Pick all that apply |
- Select Save changes. Nothing is saved until you do.
Only enabled ranks and positions are offered. You need Edit members to change these fields.
What Members See
- Rank and positions appear on the member's profile
- Members who can see the roster see them there
- Positions display as chips/tags when multiple are assigned
Best Practices
Naming Conventions
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| "Team Leader" | "TL" or "team leader" |
| "Communications Officer" | "Comms" |
| "Probationary Member" | "Probie" |
Keep names:
- Professional and clear
- Consistent capitalization
- Spelled out (avoid abbreviations)
Organizing Positions
- Start with categories — Think about the functional areas of your organization
- Be specific — "K9 Handler" is better than "Handler"
- Avoid overlap — If two positions do the same thing, use one
- Use descriptions — Help members understand what each position entails
Setting Up Ranks
- Keep it simple — Most organizations need 4-7 ranks
- Order from most to least senior — Use the arrows to keep the list in chain-of-command order
- Match your bylaws — Rank names should align with your organization's official structure
- Consider progression — Ranks often represent career/volunteer progression
When to Use Positions vs. Ranks
| Scenario | Use |
|---|---|
| John is the training coordinator | Position |
| John is a senior member | Rank |
| Maria leads the dive team | Position |
| Maria outranks other team members | Rank |
| New member joining the team | Rank (Probationary/Trainee) |
| That member is also a paramedic | Position (Medical/Paramedic) |
Troubleshooting
"Position not showing in dropdown"
Check that the position's Available switch is Enabled.
"Cannot remove a rank or position"
The trash icon is disabled while any member holds it, and standard items can't be removed at all. Either reassign those members first, or set Available to Disabled instead.
"Ranks are in the wrong order"
Use the up and down arrows at the left of each rank's row.
Next Steps
After setting up Positions and Ranks:
-
Add Team Members — Assign positions and ranks during member creation
- See Team Management
-
Set up Qualifications — Define what members can earn from their certifications
- See Qualifications
-
Set Permissions: control access with Access Roles