Downloading, Installing, Configuring,

and using IMU

Updated 17 May 2009 for the SAR Eval

with information to be used at the 2009 Texas SAR Eval

Luckily - IMU is a easy program to use. But it can be somewhat confusing to open the first time.
So lets see if we can successfully install, configure, and get into IMU.
Once you're using IMU, I think you'll agree it is an easy program to use.

DOWNLOAD IMU:

IMU Program for Mission Sign-In -> Download the program here and store it on your computer.
SouthWestRegion Database -> Download this copy of the SWR database. IMU won't work without it. Save it to your computer.

INSTALL IMU:

Once you have the latest version of IMU, either from our DSAREX webpage or from the CAP National WMU website save it to a known directory on your computer's hard drive. Uncompress the program with Windows compressed file explorer, Winzip, Winrar - or whatever compression program you might be using.

Once uncompressed, you will find a program file called "Setup". Don't mistake the configuration file "Setup.ini" - the install program is "Setup.exe". Double-click this program to start the installation.
One of the installation options will be:

Click NEXT here and the program will install itself. VERY easy!

After the program is installed, you must set up the database that the program searches for at startup.
Open Windows Explorer and go to the root of your hard drive C:\. On the hard drive, create a directory and name it "IMUdb".
This is essential, it must be created on the root directory of your hard drive and must be named "IMUdb".
Once you have created the directory, copy the SouthWest Region database you downloaded earlier into this directory.

CONFIGURE IMU:

The IMU program installation will create a shortcut on your computer's desktop. It looks like

If you double-click this icon, the program will start.

The first step when the program is first used - locate and identify the database directory. Use the plus symbols to open "My Computer" and the "C:\" hard drive. Highlight the IMUdb directory you created earlier and click OK. Click the CONTINUE... at the bottom of the IMU2 window and the program will finish opening.

For the 2009 Tx SAR Eval - we will use the Base Name that matches your staging area name (also the same name as in CAPSTAR).
So, the Staging Area names for IMU are:
KDTO - Denton Staging Area
KELP - El Paso Staging Area
KERV - Kerrville Staging Area
KGTU - Georgetown Staging Area
KIWS - West Houston Staging Area
KSJT - San Angelo Staging Area
KTYR - Tyler Staging Area
and
ICP - For the Incident Command Post

When starting IMU for the first time - put in this Base Name during the SAR Eval. This allows the Mission Base staff to sort checked-in members by their staging areas.

These changes are only for the 2009 Texas SAR Eval. Normally, the Base Name is chosen by the Incident Commander of each incident. For future operations - please check with your I.C. for the Base Name.

Select SWR for SouthWestRegion from the pull-down on the left side. Insure the Mode Selector is set to "Virtual" and "Client". Last, fill in the IP address of the SWR IMU server - 24.32.208.28. Finally, click START APPLICATION.

Your computer will now spend some time downloading updates to the database. This can sometimes take as much as 10 to 20 minutes (depending on Internet access speed and computer speed). All you can do is wait, it will finish in in due time. Its just the first time IMU is run - it has to download a LOT of updates.

EVENTUALLY, the updates will all finish. When they do, the main program will open and look like this:

IMU CHECK IN USE:

When this screen comes up, click the "Login" button at bottom. The log in screen will come up. Any CAP member with a ES Mission Base speciality rating of at least Mission Staff Assistant can log into IMU. Just put in your CAP ID and date of birth. Click SUBMIT and you're in.

If you don't have a Mission Base speciality, and can't get into IMU - you'll have to enlist the assistance of the first CAP member arriving at your mission location who does have the ES qualification. There is nothing we can do to get around this - its a security measure to protect the mission's data.

When you are logged in - it will look like

Click on the "File" menu at top and select "Open Incident". A screen will appear that looks like:

For the 2009 Texas SAR Eval, we've set up a practice "Incident" in IMU. Once you've logged in, and clicked the "Open Incident" menu, use the pulldown next to "Incident". In that list, you will see a Incident named "09TNONE_ (Sunday, May 17, 2009)". This is the practice "Incident" that our members can use to become familiar with IMU before the SAR Eval. Choosing this incident will not generate saved information - and is suitable for practice without affecting a real incident.

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT the incident to use for the Texas 2009 SAR Eval. This incident is for practice only. When signing people into the SAR Eval - you'll see that mission listed in the drop-down list of missions. Be sure to choose that correct incident for the SAR Eval on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.

Once you've chosen the practice incident - click the OK button at bottom to open the incident in IMU.

You are now working in the database for that particular mission and day. CONGRATULATIONS - you've successfully accessed IMU and the mission/exercise you are attending!

Now, you might ask - "OK, I'm in - but how do I use it??"

Lets go on. Click on the "Incident Checkin" button right on front. It will open another screen that looks like:

This is the screen that you use to check in individuals, vehicles, and aircraft to the mission/exercise. If you put in the member's CAPID or the member's name in the top block and click "Validate" - it will bring up that member's information.

If any of the items in the "CAP Checklist" at bottom right are RED, you must click on that item and fill in the missing information (usually "Next of Kin" information is missing).

Next, fill in the block titled "Departed From". This is usually "Home" or the airport you departed from.

Last, fill in the "Method of Transportation" using the pulldown. If you choose "Aircraft - Aircraft Checkin" or "Vehicle - Vehicle Checkin", a additional menu will pop up on the right. This is where you sign in an aircraft or vehicle - against that individual (usually the transporting pilot or driver). Put in the aircraft tail number or vehicle license number, the menu will fill in the details if its a CAP aircraft/vehicle.

And that's it! Click the "Checkin" button and the person is checked into the mission/exercise. But one last piece of information might be requested -- if the pilot is Instrument Rated, IMU will ask you to query the pilot to see if the pilot is "Instrument Current". You just answer the question based on the pilot's response - YES or NO. That is all there is to checking a CAP member into the mission/exercise. Repeat for each member.

IMU CHECKOUT USE:

Checking members out of the mission/exercise is MUCH easier. Once you have the "Participant Checkin" screen open - click on the "File" menu at top and select "Checkout". A screen will appear like:

Once you have that screen, merely click the box next to each person who will be checked out from the mission/exercise. Also checkmark the box next to each aircraft or vehicle to be checked out. Then, simply click the "Checkout" box at bottom right. Those member(s), aircraft, and vehicle(s) will be checked out of the mission/exercise.

CAUTION: PLEASE don't click the "Select All" button under "Resources"! This will select all the aircraft and vehicles. If you then click the Checkout button - they'll ALL be checked out of the mission/exercise. This will make the IC and Admin Section Chief VERY unhappy as they reload all those aircraft/vehicles back into the mission/exercise! You might not get another sortie all day if you made this mistake!!

EXTRA CAUTION: PLEASE don't click the "Select All" button under "Personnel"! This will select all the CAP members signed into the mission/exercise. If you then clicked the Checkout button, EVERYONE would be signed out of the mission/exercise. This won't make just the IC and FASC unhappy - it will force every other Staging Area Manager in a DSAREX to reload their participants. This could result in your fellow Staging Area Managers hunting you down and quartering you!!

SUMMARY:

IMU is a powerful program. And the "Virtual" mode allows multiple computers at multiple locations to all access a common database for check in/check out. This permits multiple staging areas all over Texas to check CAP members into the same mission/exercise from their remote locations. Instead of filling out paper forms and all locations faxing them to a single Mission Base (creating a communications bottleneck) - we each check in members at our remote location. And we can even have multiple computers at work at each remote location!

While it may take one or two uses to get accustomed to the program, use quickly becomes second nature. After that, its very easy to use.

Please let me know if I've made any mistakes in this explanation. E-mail corrections or suggestions for improvement to Chuck@Tetlow.Net.

Chuck Tetlow