Create Room Bookings

This guide walks you through creating and managing room bookings in StationOne.

Prerequisites

• Active user account
• Access to your brigade’s StationOne instance
• Booking details (date, time, purpose)

Steps

1. Navigate to Room Booking

There are two ways to start a booking:

Option A: From Rooms List

1. Log in to StationOne
2. Select your organisation and unit (if applicable)
3. Click Rooms in the main navigation
4. Click Book a Room button
5. Select desired room from list

Option B: From Room Details

1. Navigate to Rooms
2. Click on specific room name
3. Click Book this Room button

2. Enter Booking Details

Fill in the booking form:

Booking Information

Purpose (required)

• Brief description of booking reason
• Example: “Monthly Team Meeting”, “Safety Training Session”, “Equipment Inspection”

Notes (optional)

• Additional details about the booking
• Special requirements or setup needs
• Number of attendees
• Equipment needs

Schedule

Start Date & Time (required)

• When the booking begins
• Use date and time picker
• Must be in the future

End Date & Time (required)

• When the booking ends
• Must be after start date
• Can span multiple days if needed

Booker Information (administrators only)

If you’re a brigade administrator, you can book on behalf of others:

User (optional)

• Select a unit member to book for
• Leave blank to book for yourself
• User will receive notifications

Booked By Name (optional)

• Alternative name if not booking for system user
• Used for manual coordination

Booked By Email (optional)

• Email for booking notifications
• Used when booking for non-users

3. Submit Booking

Click Create Booking to submit.

What happens next depends on your role and room settings:

If You’re an Administrator

• Booking automatically approved
• Room immediately reserved
• Confirmation displayed
• Calendar updated

If Room Doesn’t Require Approval

• Booking automatically approved
• Room immediately reserved
• Confirmation displayed
• Calendar updated

If Room Requires Approval

• Booking created with “pending” status
• Administrator receives approval request email
• You receive confirmation of submission
• Wait for approval notification
• Cannot use room until approved

Next Steps

After creating a booking, you may want to:

View Your Booking

1. Navigate to Rooms
2. Click on the booked room
3. Find your booking in upcoming list
4. Click booking to view details

Or:

1. Click Room Bookings in navigation
2. Find your booking in the list
3. Click to view full details

Check Booking Status

View booking details to see:

Pending

• Awaiting administrator approval
• Shows “Pending” status badge
• Includes submission timestamp

Approved

• Confirmed reservation
• Shows “Approved” status badge
• Includes approver and approval time

Rejected

• Booking was not approved
• Shows “Rejected” status badge
• May include rejection reason

Cancelled

• Booking was cancelled
• Shows “Cancelled” status badge
• Room is available again

Edit Booking

If you need to change details:

1. Open booking details
2. Click Edit button
3. Update time, purpose, or notes
4. Click Update Booking

Notes:

• Can only edit your own bookings
• Administrators can edit any booking
• Time changes re-check for conflicts
• May require re-approval if time changes significantly

Cancel Booking

If you no longer need the room:

1. Open booking details
2. Click Cancel button
3. Confirm cancellation

When cancelled:

• Booking status changed to “cancelled”
• Room becomes available for others
• No notifications sent
• Booking remains in system for records

Note: You can only cancel your own bookings. Administrators can cancel any booking.

View Room Calendar

To see all bookings for a room:

1. Navigate to Calendar
2. Filter by room (if available)
3. View all bookings in calendar format
4. Click time blocks for booking details

Administrator Actions

If you’re a brigade administrator, you can manage all bookings:

Approve Pending Booking

1. Navigate to room with pending bookings
2. Find booking in “Pending Bookings” section
3. Click Approve button
4. Booking confirmed
5. Booker receives approval email

Reject Booking

1. Navigate to room with pending bookings
2. Find booking in “Pending Bookings” section
3. Click Reject button
4. Optionally provide rejection reason
5. Confirm rejection
6. Booker receives rejection email with reason

Book for Another User

When creating booking:

1. Select user from dropdown
2. User becomes booker
3. User receives confirmation
4. Booking auto-approved (admin bookings)

Manual Booking Coordination

For external groups or special cases:

1. Enter name in “Booked By Name”
2. Enter email in “Booked By Email”
3. Purpose describes external group
4. Manual follow-up with booker
5. Booking auto-approved

Tips

Choosing Booking Times

Allow buffer time:

• Book 15 minutes before for setup
• Book 15 minutes after for cleanup
• Prevents back-to-back conflicts

Check availability:

• View room details first
• Check upcoming bookings
• Look for conflicts on calendar

Be realistic:

• Book actual needed time
• Don’t over-book “just in case”
• Cancel if plans change

Writing Good Descriptions

Purpose should include:

• Type of meeting or event
• Brief activity description
• Identifiable by others

Good examples:

• “Weekly Officer Meeting”
• “CPR Training for New Members”
• “Vehicle Inspection Workshop”
• “Planning Session for Community Event”

Avoid:

• Single words (“Meeting”)
• Vague terms (“Stuff”)
• Inside jokes or codes
• Information-free descriptions

Notes can include:

• Expected attendance
• Special equipment needs
• Setup requirements
• Contact information

Booking Strategy

For recurring needs:

• Book all sessions at once if possible
• Use consistent naming
• Set up series manually
• Coordinate with administrator for regular slots

For large events:

• Book early to secure space
• Include setup and breakdown time
• Note in purpose if multi-day
• Coordinate with event system if applicable

For flexible timing:

• Check multiple rooms
• Consider alternative time slots
• Book sooner rather than later

Working with Approval

If booking requires approval:

• Book well in advance
• Include detailed purpose and notes
• Provide context for why room is needed
• Follow up with administrator if urgent

While waiting for approval:

• Don’t assume approval
• Have backup plan
• Check status regularly
• Contact administrator for urgent requests

If rejected:

• Read rejection reason
• Contact administrator for alternatives
• Try different time or room
• Provide more information if re-submitting

Common Issues

”Room is already booked for this time period”

Another booking overlaps with your requested time.

Solution:

1. Check room’s upcoming bookings
2. Choose different time slot
3. Try different room
4. Contact administrator about existing booking if urgent

Cannot Find Room in List

Room may not be available for booking.

Check:

1. Room is marked as “Active”
2. Room is marked as “Bookable”
3. You’re in correct unit context
4. Room belongs to your unit

Solution:

• Contact administrator to enable room
• Choose different room
• Ask administrator to book on your behalf

Booking Stuck in Pending

Booking awaiting administrator approval.

What to do:

1. Check room requires approval setting
2. Wait for approval notification
3. Contact administrator if urgent
4. Check email for approval status

If taking too long:

• Send reminder to administrator
• Explain urgency
• Consider alternative room without approval requirement

Cannot Edit Booking

May not have permission to edit.

Reasons:

• Not your booking (only owner can edit)
• Booking already completed (in past)
• Booking cancelled
• System permissions issue

Solution:

• Contact booking owner
• Ask administrator for help
• Cancel and create new booking
• Check your role permissions

Email Notifications Not Received

Booking emails may be missing.

Check:

1. Email address in your profile
2. Spam/junk folder
3. Email filters or rules
4. Organisation email settings

Solution:

• Update profile email
• Whitelist system emails
• Contact administrator
• Check booking status manually

Time Zone Issues

Bookings display in system time zone.

Solution:

• Verify displayed time zone
• Confirm start/end times before submitting
• Use 24-hour format to avoid AM/PM confusion
• Double-check calendar after booking

Best Practices

Planning Ahead

Book early:

• Popular rooms fill quickly
• Gives time for approval process
• Allows proper planning
• Reduces scheduling conflicts

Confirm details:

• Double-check date and time
• Verify room meets needs
• Confirm equipment availability
• Note any special requirements

Being a Good Room User

Update when needed:

• Cancel if plans change
• Edit if time needs adjustment
• Communicate with others if shared use

Respect booking times:

• Arrive on time
• Stay within booked period
• Clean up before leaving
• Report issues or damage

Consider others:

• Don’t book more time than needed
• Cancel unused bookings promptly
• Be flexible with timing when possible
• Share popular spaces fairly

Communication

Include context:

• Clear purpose helps administrators
• Notes help with conflicts
• Contact info for questions

Follow up on pending:

• Don’t assume approval
• Check status before event
• Contact administrator if needed

Coordinate with team:

• Share booking details
• Confirm attendance
• Update if changes occur

Record Keeping

Booking history helps with:

• Planning future needs
• Showing room usage
• Justifying space requirements
• Audit trails for activities

Don’t delete old bookings unless required - cancel instead.

Related Guides

• Rooms - Feature overview
• Create Rooms - Setting up rooms
• Public Room Booking - Public booking process
• Manage Events - Event room assignment