Chief 360 Dashboards – Equipment and Display Setup

Overview

Chief 360 Dashboards are designed to be a reliable, easy-to-use tool for displaying mission-critical information within your fire station. To ensure the best performance, it is important to use the right equipment and understand your options for extending the dashboard to multiple displays.

Equipment Requirements

• Primary Device

  • Dashboards are designed to run from a PC.
  • This does not need to be a high-end or brand-new machine. A refurbished computer or an existing station PC is usually sufficient.

• Browsers

  • Dashboards are web apps and run in any modern browser.
  • Multiple dashboard configurations can be opened simultaneously by using different browsers (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox).

• Smart TVs

  • Chief 360 does not endorse the use of smart TVs as the primary device.
  • While a smart TV may support basic browser use, stability and compatibility are not guaranteed. A dedicated PC is the recommended solution.

Minimum Recommended Specifications

Display Options

• Single Display

  • Connect your PC directly to a monitor or television via HDMI.
  • Use split-screen mode on Windows to run multiple dashboards side-by-side.

• Multiple Displays

  • To mirror the same dashboard across multiple screens, use one of these:

    • HDMI Splitter – duplicates the signal to multiple HDMI outputs.
    • RF Modulator – converts the signal to run through coaxial cabling (ideal for older or widespread TV setups).

  • Both solutions allow multiple displays throughout the station to show the same dashboard feed.

Best Practices

• Refurbished or Reallocated Hardware

  • No need to purchase new equipment—many stations successfully repurpose existing PCs.

• Centralized Setup

  • Place your PC in a central location and split the feed to all desired displays.

• Browser Management

  • Run different dashboards in separate browser windows or use multiple browsers to keep layouts organized.

Example Setup Diagram

             ┌───────────────┐
             │     PC w/     │
             │ Chief 360 Dash│
             └───────┬───────┘
                     │ HDMI Out
           ┌─────────┴─────────┐
           │ HDMI Splitter     │
           └───────┬───────────┘
     HDMI Out 1    │    HDMI Out 2
          │        │         │
     ┌────▼───┐    │    ┌────▼───┐
     │  TV #1 │    │    │  TV #2 │
     └────────┘    │    └────────┘
                   │
             (Additional TVs...)

Summary

Chief 360 Dashboards are flexible and cost-effective. With just a standard PC, a web browser, and basic video-splitting hardware, you can deploy dashboards across multiple displays in your station. This setup ensures reliability without requiring major hardware investments.