Working with Assets
If your agency uses RAM's asset management, the Assets page in the left menu is where you look up agency equipment and keep track of your own gear. It has four tabs across the top:
| Tab | What it's for |
|---|---|
| My Assets | Your own gear, and agency gear signed out to you |
| Agency Assets | The agency's equipment list |
| Compliance | What is overdue or due soon (needs a permission) |
| Storage Locations | Where the agency keeps things |
The Assets page opens for members who have View assets (or Check out assets or Transfer assets). If the menu is missing or a page says you don't have access, ask your administrator. Adding an asset takes Create assets, changing one takes Edit assets, archiving takes Archive assets, and moving one depends on the permissions in Signing equipment out and returning it. See Roles & Permissions.
My Assets: your own gear
My Assets is a private list for equipment you own: your pack, your headlamp, your first aid kit. Nobody else sees it, and it is separate from the agency's inventory. Use it to remember what is in each bag, where it is, and when something needs attention.
Two ideas: Inside and Place
- Inside says what something is in. A pack holds a kit, and the kit holds items. You can nest two levels deep: pack, then kit, then item.
- Place says where a top-level item is kept: On me, Vehicle, Station locker, Home, or a place you add. Everything inside a pack is in the pack's place, so when you move the pack, you only change one thing.
Adding gear
Select Add on the bar and choose:
| Choice | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Item | A single piece of gear |
| Pack or bag | A container you will put things in |
| Kit from a template | A ready-made kit list from your agency. Pick the template, give the kit a name, and choose where it goes. Administrators build these as the Contents template of an asset type, under Agency → Agency Settings → Assets → Asset Types |
For an item you can fill in:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Required |
| Category | Pack / bag, Kit, Lighting, Navigation, Comms / radio, PPE / clothing, Medical, Rope & hardware, Electronics / batteries, Food & water, Tools, or Other |
| Quantity | How many |
| Inside | Which pack or kit it goes in (leave blank for a top-level item) |
| Place | Where it is kept. Not used when it is inside something |
| Expires | When it goes stale |
| Inspect every (days) and Last inspected | For batteries, radios, harnesses, and anything else you check on a schedule |
| Serial, Cost (each), Notes | Optional. You can also attach a photo |
Keeping it current
Each line has quick buttons on the right:
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add inside | Puts a new item in this pack or kit |
| Inspected today | Records that you just checked it and moves the next due date out |
| Replaced | You swapped it for a fresh one. Enter the new expiration date |
| Edit | Change any detail |
| Remove | Takes it off your list (everything inside a pack or kit goes with it) |
What "Needs Attention" means
The tiles on the bar count your Items, Packs & Kits, Value (what your gear cost), Needs Attention, and Agency Gear Held. An item needs attention when it is expired, expires within 30 days, or has an inspection due or overdue. A pack or kit shows how many items inside it need attention, so you can see the problem without opening it. Select Needs Attention to see only those items.
Your Place filter on the bar narrows the list to one place, and Places lets you add, rename, or remove places.
Your personal gear is flagged here on the Assets page and in the My assets card on your dashboard. RAM does not email you about it, so look at the page before a callout or a training weekend.
Agency Gear Held
The Agency Gear Held panel lists agency equipment that is signed out to you: its name and asset ID, the condition it was in, when you received it, and when it is due back. Each item has a Return button, which marks it as handed back. To report a problem, see Reporting a problem.
Agency Assets
Select Agency Assets for the agency's list.
Each row shows:
- A picture (or a type icon when there's no photo). Hover a picture for a larger view.
- Name and Asset ID
- Type
- Condition and Status
- Location, either a storage place or the member who has it
Finding an asset
- Use the asset picker to find one by name or ID.
- Filter by Asset Type, Status, or Condition with the filter button.
- Select the Out of Service or Needs Attention tile to see only those.
- Use the columns button to show or hide columns.
Opening an asset
Select a row. The asset's page shows its picture, its QR code with the asset ID underneath, and three views:
| View | What you see |
|---|---|
| Overview | Where it's and who has it, compliance dates, the details that apply to that kind of asset (vehicle, rope, medical, and so on), and what is inside it if it holds anything |
| Usage | Each time it was used |
| Service History | Inspections, repairs, and service done on it |
Use the back arrow to return to the list.
Scanning a QR code
If an asset has a QR label, point your phone camera at it and tap the link. RAM opens that asset's page after you sign in.
Signing equipment out and returning it
What you can do depends on your permissions. Open the asset and choose Asset Actions. A choice you cannot make is unavailable, with a note saying what is missing.
| You want to | You need |
|---|---|
| Sign out something that is in storage or has no location | Check out assets |
| Move something one member holds to another member | Transfer assets |
| Return something to storage | Check out assets, Transfer assets, or it is signed out to you |
| Move something between storage locations, or load it onto a truck, boat, or trailer | Transfer assets |
| Send something for service, or retire it | Edit assets |
You can always return what is signed out to you, with the Return button under Agency Gear Held or from the asset's page. If you need to borrow something and do not have these permissions, ask your equipment officer. Once it is assigned, it shows under Agency Gear Held on your My Assets tab and in the My assets card on your dashboard.
When you return gear, tell the person recording it about its condition so the record stays accurate:
| Condition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| New or Excellent | Like new |
| Good | Normal wear, fully functional |
| Fair | Shows wear but works |
| Poor | Needs attention |
| Damaged or Needs Repair | Do not use until it is fixed |
Reporting a problem
- Minor issue: tell your equipment officer, who can add a note or a Service History entry.
- Safety concern: stop using the equipment, tell your supervisor, and do not put it back in service without approval.
Say what happened, when you noticed, whether it is still usable, and any safety concern.
Service entries
If you have Create log entries for any asset or Edit assets, you can record an inspection or service on an asset. Open the asset, choose Service History, and select Add Entry. Pick the type (Inspection, Preventive Maintenance, Repair, Calibration, Cleaning, and others), who did the work, the result, and what you found. A preview at the bottom of the form shows which schedule dates the entry will change before you save. Each row has a Print icon for a printable record.
Rope and controlled-substance usage entries can't be edited or deleted once saved. Add a new entry to correct one.
Compliance
The Compliance tab shows what is overdue or due soon across the agency, with tiles for Overdue, Due in 30, Due in 90, On Track, and No Schedule. You see this tab with the View asset compliance permission.
Storage Locations
The Storage Locations tab shows where the agency keeps its gear: facilities and their areas, shelves, and bins, plus trucks, boats, and trailers that carry gear. Anyone with View storage locations can browse it.
Common questions
Why can I not add or change an agency asset?
Adding takes Create assets, and changing takes Edit assets. With only Create assets you can still change the assets you added yourself. Ask your administrator.
Who can see my assets?
Your own gear on My Assets is visible only to you. Agency gear signed out to you is visible to you and to everyone who can see the agency's assets.
Can I use RAM on my phone?
Yes. The Assets page works in a phone browser, and scanning a QR label is the fastest way to open an asset in the field.
Related Documentation
- My Profile
- Dashboard Overview: the My assets card
- Asset Management (admin guide)
- Getting Support