User guide

1. Getting started

1. Open rescue.kz. An internet connection is required to send data.
2. If you are already logged in, open My profile: your personal details are shared across roles; you can add participation details there. For a new account, select Become a rescuer / volunteer, complete the form, enter a phone number with country code, your city and how you can help, and provide the required consent.
3. Create a username and password. If you already have an account, log in; you do not need to register again. Passwords require at least 5 characters for ordinary users and 12 for leaders. Use Show to check the password you entered.
4. Open your account: your actions, account settings and Telegram connection are available here. The sections shown depend on your permissions.

You can type a phone number, paste it from contacts or use keyboard suggestions. Detailed instructions →

Normal and emergency modes

Normal mode shows useful map objects and the usual website sections. If there are active incidents, a notice links to emergency mode. In that mode, select an incident to view its description, participants and available sections. Under headquarters review means information is being reviewed; Rescue operations in progress indicates ongoing work.

Language and compact menus

Choose РУС, ҚАЗ or ENG at the top of the page. Your choice is saved in the browser. On a phone, tap your name to open the account menu; actions depend on your permissions. On the map, “Menu” opens navigation and “Full screen” enlarges the map.

Install on your phone

Android: open the website in Chrome and select Install on your phone. Confirm installation. If no prompt appears, open the browser menu ⋮ and look for Install app or Add to Home screen.

iPhone: open the website in Safari → Share (the square with an upward arrow) → Add to Home Screen → Add. Keep Open as Web App enabled if offered. On iPhone, installation is confirmed through Safari's menu, not automatically through the website button. If you opened the link in a messenger, open it in Safari first.

Result: the VRS icon appears on your phone's home screen. Open it and log in if needed. Installing the icon does not enable offline submission of incident reports or participant reports.

2. How to report an incident

You can submit an incident report without an account.

1. Select Report an incident.
2. Choose the incident type. Describe what happened, where, when and how many people need help. State known facts and identify what is unknown.
3. Type a description or record a voice message. After stopping, check the transcript, especially names, numbers and coordinates.
4. Specify a landmark, route or point on the map. If you use My location, clarify whether it is the incident location or your own position.
5. Enter the time and contact details. Add photos and a route file or document if needed.
6. Select Send incident report and wait for confirmation of receipt.

Result: the system confirms that the report was saved. It has been submitted for review; no departure decision has been made yet. Do not close the page during submission.

Before submitting, read the publication notice: after approval, the applicant's name and phone number may become available with the public report. New photos and audio are not published automatically.

3. Volunteer rescuers: register a departure

1. Log in and find the active incident. Open its page and read the incident description and the leader's instructions.
2. Select Join rescue operations and choose an incident if a list is offered.
3. Enter your departure date and time. Use Departing now for the current time.
4. Enter the group size, vehicles and equipment. Choose a search area or your own route; describe your route clearly with landmarks.
5. Select Register departure.

Result: the You are on the route page opens with the time, group size and route. Registration records your departure but does not replace coordination with the leader. When finished, always record your return.

Departure through Telegram and the public participant list

In the incident notification, select Join rescue operations and follow the login or connection steps. Once your departure is registered, you can open the incident's work topic. You do not need to press the button again to check: open your participation record and verify that it was saved.

The Rescue participants link shows names, organisations, statuses, departure and status update times, total participants and return records. Statuses are En route, On site, Carrying out task and Returned. Use Update status for your own record when the form is available. Phone numbers and coordinates are not shown in this public list. Select Returned only after actually returning.

4. Submit a report

A report belongs to the selected incident and your current departure. After returning, create a new participation record for a new departure.

1. Select Participant report or Participant report — text or voice on your departure page.
2. In Report text, state where you are, what you have done, what you have found and whether help is needed. Separate observations from assumptions.
3. Add a point, route or area on the map and photos if needed.
4. Select Send report to headquarters. Wait for confirmation that it was saved.
5. Check your submitted report in My reports.

Voice recording

1. Select Record voice report and allow microphone access.
2. Speak while Recording and the timer are visible.
3. Select Stop recording. If transcription is available, the text is added to the report field automatically.
4. Check and edit the text. The next recording adds a new segment; existing text is kept.
5. Select Send report to headquarters separately: stopping the recording and transcribing it do not submit the report.

You can attach an existing audio file. Up to 10 segments, 8 MB each and 24 MB in total; a single recording can last up to 5 minutes. Photos: up to 5 files, 8 MB each, JPEG, PNG or WebP. Check the limits below the form fields.

Original files are saved with the report. Transcription can contain errors. Reports and new map markings require review and are not published automatically.

5. Using the map

Overview map: open the incident mapand select incidents using the filters. Set a date range and enable current or archived operations if needed. Select a marker to read its label and open the page.

Markers labelled Landmark by name are approximate. They do not confirm a person's exact location, complete search coverage or route safety. An archive marker represents historical information, not rescuers' current positions.

In a report: My location obtains device coordinates with your permission. Check the point. Mark on map offers Point, Line or Area. Undo an incorrect point or clear a drawing. Enter coordinates manually only if known; never invent missing values.

6. Record your return

1. Open the incident page and your departure through Join rescue operations.
2. Check that this is the departure and group that have returned.
3. Select I / the group have returned only after actually returning.
4. Check that Return recorded appears with the date and time.

Recording your own return and closing all rescue operations are different actions. Rescuers record their group's return; an authorised leader closes work on the incident. If you cannot record your return, inform the leader.

7. For dispatchers

Work actions become available after the leader assigns permissions.

1. Log in to your account and open the available incident records section. The incident reports section contains a Dispatcher records link.
2. Create a record and enter the incident details, location, time and contacts. Do not present unverified information as established facts.
3. Check the fields and select Save draft to continue later, or Submit for review when the record is ready.
4. Check the updated status. If returned for clarification, read the comment, correct the information and submit again.

Submitting a record for review does not publish it or initiate a departure. Publication, restricted materials and closure require the appropriate permissions.

8. For leaders: from report to archive

Leader's account

After logging in, the leader or deputy opens the leader's account. It shows current incidents, new messages and new reports. The archive has a separate menu item. Data and actions depend on the assigned permissions.

On a computer, sections are on the left. On a phone, use Sections ▾ and the bottom Incidents, Reports and Menu buttons. A current incident record offers Open incident, Reports and Participants if your permissions allow them.

Accept a report and organise the work

1. In your account, select New messages and open the report. Reports are also available in Incident reports.
2. Check the incident description, location, time and contacts; ask the applicant for clarification if necessary.
3. Use the form's available actions to make a decision. Check public information before publishing. Give a clear reason when rejecting or returning a report.
4. Monitor an open operation in Current incidents. Review the description, reports, participants and map. Reports awaiting review are not confirmed facts.

Participants and return

Open Participants for the incident. Check departures, group sizes, routes and returns. If a group has returned but no return is recorded, use Record return for the correct departure and confirm the actual return. Never record a return without confirmation.

Close an incident

1. Open the incident or report and select Close incident.
2. Choose a reason: Work completed, Person found, Assistance provided, Handed over to another service, Report not confirmed or Other.
3. Add a comment if needed. It is saved in the internal history and is not published.
4. Click “Confirm completion”. No additional confirmation checkbox is required.

Result: the incident is closed, with the time, decision maker and reason saved. The operation moves to the archive. A report can be closed without opening an operation; it remains in the closed reports history.

A report, photos and publication of an outcome are not required for closure. Departures with no recorded return are shown as a warning and do not block closure. Participant statuses do not change automatically: continue checking each group's return separately.

Publish an outcome — optional

After closure, users with publication permission see a separate Publish outcome — optional button. Check the public text, confirm publication and save. You can complete an internal report draft and select approved photos for an operation. Restricted materials do not become public automatically. Publishing an outcome does not change the closure date or participant statuses.

Registry and access

In the Rescuer registry, search by name, phone or city. WhatsApp opens a chat without sending a message; Call passes the number to the phone app; Profile opens participant details. Clarify incomplete numbers first. Export to Excel exports all records matching the search, including other pages. Treat the export as internal information.

In Users and access, assign only necessary permissions. Viewing the registry, editing profiles, publication, restricted materials and closure are separate permissions. The administration panel is separate from the leader's account.

9. User permissions and personal data

Using the system does not replace rescuer qualifications or the leader's instructions. Never share your password. Do not forward or publish others' contacts, audio or internal material without permission. The public archive contains only approved information; a file being in the system does not authorise its distribution.

10. My trip — without registration

Everyone can use this feature without registration. After submission, copy the personal link at the bottom of the page: use it to update the trip, change times and record your return. If logged in, the trip is saved in your account.

Before departure

1. Open My trip. No login or registration is required.
2. Complete the form. If you already have an account, you can log in first to save the trip in your account.
3. Enter your name, phone, group size and a contact who is not on the trip. Type or paste their phone number and enter their name separately. Obtain their consent to share the number.
4. Describe the route, departure time, expected return and check-in deadline. The deadline is filled from Expected return; change it manually if needed. Without the visibility checkbox, only you and authorised VRS staff can see the trip; with it, all system users can also see it, without phone numbers or the exact route. Kazakhstan time is UTC+5. Return must be after departure; the deadline must be no earlier than return and must be in the future.
5. Optionally add equipment details, up to five photos and a voice recording. Add photos opens the photo picker; Take photo opens the phone camera. Check the transcript before submitting.
6. Optionally enable Show my trip to all system users. No extra fields are needed. Your phone number, exact route, coordinates and private messages remain unavailable to other users. You can turn visibility off on the trip page.
7. Confirm consent and select Report my trip. Wait for a page with a number such as Trip No. 002 and the Trip registered status.

Without an account, the trip is accessible through your personal link. Anyone with that link can view and edit it; do not publish it. At the bottom, you can optionally register as an observer or volunteer rescuer to receive ongoing VRS information. After registration, open My trips in the same browser, or return through your saved link and select Add this trip to my account. Once linked, the owner must log in to access the trip; authorised staff retain work access.

During the trip and after returning

1. Open your trip page, add text, voice or photos, and select Save message. Recording and transcription do not submit the message by themselves.
2. If plans change, open Change route or deadline. Changes are saved in the history; inform your close contacts.
3. Confirm return only after the whole group has actually returned. If only some members have returned, message headquarters; do not confirm everyone's return.

Telegram and follow-up

In your account, select Connect Telegram, open the bot, press Start and confirm the connection on the website. If the trip is not complete, the bot sends a reminder 30 minutes before the check-in deadline. Its button opens the trip page with I have returned.

Authorised staff receive notifications about new trips, changes, completion and overdue check-ins. An overdue check-in means contact should be checked, not that an emergency is declared automatically.

Registration does not mean continuous monitoring by rescuers. Under observation appears only after a staff member confirms it. If life is in danger, call 112. Subscribing to a news channel does not replace connecting your personal bot or publish the trip automatically.

11. Troubleshooting

If the problem persists, tell the leader which page you opened, what you selected and what message appeared. Include a screenshot without passwords or unnecessary personal data.

12. Telegram and permanent headquarters

Connect your personal Telegram

1. In your account, open Telegram connection and select Connect my Telegram.
2. Follow the provided link to @rescue_kz_bot and press Start. The connection link is valid for 10 minutes.
3. Return to the website, refresh the page and check the displayed account. Select Confirm and open chat.
4. Check that Telegram connected appears. Select Send test message and check both your private bot chat and the result on the website.

If the link has expired, restart the connection. If the bot is blocked, unblock it and retry the test message. Connecting a personal account and joining work chats are separate steps. When connection follows departure registration, the saved departure and its time are preserved.

Incident creation, addition and completion notifications are sent to connected headquarters and community groups when the incident category is enabled. Personal notifications are configured separately. If a message is missing, check the connection and delivery result in the staff area; do not create the incident again.

Personal notifications

1. Open your account → My Telegram notifications.
2. Select the categories you want and save. Categories outside your permissions are disabled.
3. Your choices also apply to messages not yet sent. Confirmations of report receipt and bot connection remain enabled.

Chats

The main groups are “DSS — Rescuer Community” and “DSS — Headquarters”. Open incident discussions using the link in the incident card or notification. In groups with topics enabled, each incident has a working topic. Available links are in “My Telegram chats”; the community link is also in the footer. This setup does not require a separate notification channel.

For a private chat, connect your personal Telegram, obtain a personal invitation and request to join. The bot checks your account and permissions. Invitations are valid for 15 minutes. Do not share them.

Permanent headquarters and permissions

One headquarters serves all incidents. The leader adds staff from existing accounts, sets their functions and confirms standard permissions. Individual permissions are edited in user records. Publication and operation closure are not enabled automatically.

Removal from headquarters immediately revokes work permissions. Telegram removal is requested separately and retried until confirmed. Pending requests are visible to the leader in the headquarters section.

Connecting groups as a leader

1. Prepare headquarters and community in “My Telegram chats”. Each purpose uses one permanent connection. Verify the selected group and link your Telegram to your leader account.
2. Create or select a Telegram supergroup. Headquarters must be private. Enable topics and add the bot as an administrator with permission to invite, remove members, pin messages and manage topics.
3. As a group administrator, use your linked Telegram account to send the connection command shown on the website.
4. The bot checks permissions and posts a message processing notice. Check the connection status and separately choose system notification categories for the group.

The bot receives new messages after connection; earlier history is not imported automatically. Telegram does not provide a complete list of old group members. Check membership manually before connecting private headquarters.

Message processing and sources

Messages are saved with author, time, source link and edit history. Photos, voice, audio, documents and video are saved privately if no larger than 20 MB. Unavailable or oversized attachments are marked separately. Voice messages are not transcribed automatically in this section.

Rules flag possible departures and returns, locations, searched areas, discoveries, requests for help, tasks and situation updates. This is preliminary classification. Incident topic messages are linked automatically. Outside a topic, the system uses an explicit search operation number; staff choose the incident when unclear. Headquarters staff review the content. Ordinary conversation stays in source messages rather than the useful information queue; staff can select a message manually. Source edits return the information for review.

Confirmed information is available in the incident's work account. Participant statuses, maps and public pages do not update automatically. Publication requires separate review and permissions.

13. Entering a phone number

In all forms, you can type a number, paste it from contacts or use keyboard suggestions if supported by your device.

1. Select the phone field and enter a number with country code, or paste a copied number.
2. To copy a number, open the person in Contacts, copy the number and return to the form.
3. Check the number and submit the form using its usual button.

Trip contact person

Enter your own number in My phone and the number of someone staying behind in Contact phone. Enter their name separately and obtain consent to share their phone number.

The website does not open or upload your address book.

Map, routes and objects

Open “Map” and choose “Routes” or “Places”. Search for an entry and select its checkbox. On a phone, checkboxes keep the list open; tapping a name closes the list and shows the entry. Click “Show on map” to see all selected entries. “Entire route on map” is available for a selected route.

The map shows catalogue routes and VRS objects. Automatic loading of OpenStreetMap objects and trails is disabled. The map background is retained.

In an object's popup, select Details to open its description, coordinates and photos. Add photo and Suggest a correction require login. For a new object, select Add object, mark its location and complete the form. Upload up to five photos at a time, each up to 5 MB. Information and photos are published only after review; status and comments appear in My suggestions.

A leader or administrator opens Pending review, compares the suggestion with the current record and decides. Rejections require a reason for the author. Photos show conditions on the capture date, not guaranteed current conditions.

A place popup closes after about 7 seconds. Reopen it or click “Details” for the full page. In emergency mode, “Incidents” opens the list and search; select entries and click “Show on map”. Layers and full screen are available in both modes.

Archive on a phone

Sign in to access the archive. Expand filters, enter search terms and dates, and apply them. Cards show a number, date and available thumbnails. Original sources require a separate staff permission; volunteer sign-in alone does not grant it.