{"id":4782,"date":"2026-01-19T17:51:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T12:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/?p=4782"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:58:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T10:28:03","slug":"things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to do before you go on-call for the first time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Going on-call for the first time can feel a bit overwhelming, but a little prep work makes it smooth and stress-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This guide covers five things to set up before you start your first on-call shift.<\/strong> They help you stay on top of your <a href=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/blog\/oncall-schedules-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/blog\/oncall-schedules-everything-you-need-to-know\/\">on-call schedule<\/a>, get on-call notifications, and have a <a href=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/glossary\/backup-responder\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/glossary\/backup-responder\/\">backup<\/a> in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the end, you&#8217;ll be ready to handle your first on-call shift with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Table of contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<nav aria-label=\"Table of Contents\" class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents\"><ol><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#1-sync-on-call-schedule-with-personal-calendar\">1. Sync on-call schedule with personal calendar<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#2-download-the-mobile-app\">2. Download the mobile app<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#3-enable-on-call-notifications\">3. Enable on-call notifications<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#4-add-a-backup-responder\">4. Add a backup responder<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#5-add-holiday-calendar\">5. Add holiday calendar<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#you-re-ready-for-your-first-shift\">You&#8217;re ready for your first shift!<\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"wp-block-table-of-contents__entry\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/#faqs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"1-sync-on-call-schedule-with-personal-calendar\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Sync on-call schedule with personal calendar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"644\" data-attachment-id=\"4784\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5-31-53-pm\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"2012,1266\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot 2026-01-19 at 5.31.53\u202fPM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-1024x644.png\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-1024x644.png\" alt=\"On-call schedule on personal calendar\" class=\"wp-image-4784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-1024x644.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-768x483.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-1536x966.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM-1200x755.png 1200w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.31.53-PM.png 2012w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On-call schedule on personal calendar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by syncing your on-call schedule with your personal calendar (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook). It&#8217;s quite handy for planning your week without having to open your on-call tool every time you want to check when your shift starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-download-the-mobile-app\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Download the mobile app<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"937\" data-attachment-id=\"4786\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5-35-59-pm\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"1514,1386\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot 2026-01-19 at 5.35.59\u202fPM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-1024x937.png\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-1024x937.png\" alt=\"Spike's mobile app\" class=\"wp-image-4786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-1024x937.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-300x275.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-768x703.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM-1200x1099.png 1200w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.35.59-PM.png 1514w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spike.sh\" type=\"link\" id=\"spike.sh\">Spike<\/a>&#8216;s mobile app<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your schedule is live, it&#8217;s worth downloading the mobile app. <strong>This lets you check your on-call calendar on the go.<\/strong> Also, the mobile app makes it easy to <a href=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/glossary\/acknowledge\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/glossary\/acknowledge\/\">acknowledge<\/a> incidents and update their status while you&#8217;re away from your desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Download Spike&#8217;s mobile app <a href=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/mobile\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/spike.sh\/mobile\">here \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-enable-on-call-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Enable on-call notifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-autoplay=\"true\" data-delay=\"2\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(1024 \/ 719)\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"719\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-4791\" data-id=\"4791\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 719\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-1024x719.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-1536x1079.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1-1200x843.png 1200w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.36.58-PM-1.png 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"587\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-4790\" data-id=\"4790\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1024 \/ 587\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-1024x587.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-1024x587.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-768x440.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-1536x880.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1-1200x688.png 1200w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.09-PM-1.png 1612w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ll probably want to get notified when your on-call shift starts and ends, so you&#8217;re never caught off guard. Tools like <a href=\"http:\/\/spike.sh\">Spike<\/a> let you configure these notifications on your preferred channels\u2014phone call, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, or the mobile app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"4-add-a-backup-responder\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Add a backup responder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"746\" data-attachment-id=\"4792\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5-37-48-pm\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"992,746\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot 2026-01-19 at 5.37.48\u202fPM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM.png\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM.png\" alt=\"Escalation policy with backup responder on Spike\" class=\"wp-image-4792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM.png 992w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM-600x450.png?crop=1 600w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM-400x300.png?crop=1 400w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.37.48-PM-200x150.png?crop=1 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Escalation policy with backup responder on <a href=\"http:\/\/spike.sh\" type=\"link\" id=\"spike.sh\">Spike<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It often helps to have a backup responder in case you miss an alert or get stuck during an incident.<\/strong> A Subject Matter Expert (SME) makes a great backup responder, but if you don\u2019t have one on your team yet, you can just add a fellow engineer as backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-add-holiday-calendar\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Add holiday calendar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"475\" data-attachment-id=\"4794\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/things-to-do-before-you-go-oncall\/screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5-38-27-pm\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"1710,794\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot 2026-01-19 at 5.38.27\u202fPM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-1024x475.png\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-1024x475.png\" alt=\"Holiday calendar linked to on-call schedules on Spike\" class=\"wp-image-4794\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-1024x475.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-768x357.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-1536x713.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM-1200x557.png 1200w, https:\/\/blog.spike.sh\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-19-at-5.38.27-PM.png 1710w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Holiday calendar linked to on-call schedules on <a href=\"http:\/\/spike.sh\" type=\"link\" id=\"spike.sh\">Spike<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider linking your holiday calendar to your on-call schedule so holidays appear alongside your shifts. This gives you a visual reference when planning your schedule and makes it easy to spot conflicts early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"you-re-ready-for-your-first-shift\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">You&#8217;re ready for your first shift!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With your schedule synced, app downloaded, notifications enabled, and a backup in place, you&#8217;re all set for your first on-call shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These simple configurations make quite a difference in your day-to-day life on-call. <strong>They keep you organized, informed, and supported so you can focus on resolving incidents.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Go ahead with your first shift. You&#8217;ll figure out what else you need as you go, but for now, you&#8217;re ready. Good luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"faqs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"faqs\"><strong>Can I sync multiple on-call schedules to my calendar?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, most tools give you a separate link for each schedule. Just add them to your calendar, and they&#8217;ll show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Should I review recent incidents before my first shift?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It often helps to go through recent incidents. They give you a sense of what&#8217;s common and how your team typically responds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What&#8217;s the difference between primary and backup responders?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The primary responder is the one who gets alerted first when an incident occurs. The backup responder is someone who gets notified if the primary doesn&#8217;t respond within a set time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide walks you through five setup steps before your first on-call shift begins. From calendar integration to on-call notification and backup coverage, these configurations help you stay informed, organized, and supported when incidents strike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":263547072,"featured_media":4821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_import_markdown_pro_load_document_selector":0,"_import_markdown_pro_submit_text_textarea":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvYmxvZy5zcGlrZS5zaFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDFcL0Jhc2ljcy1vZi1JbmNpZGVudC1NYW5hZ2VtZW50LTEtMTAyNHg1NTUucG5nIiwidHh0IjoiNSB0aGluZ3MgdG8gZG8gYmVmb3JlIHlvdSBnbyBvbi1jYWxsIGZvciB0aGUgZmlyc3QgdGltZSIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoyMzMxMzg5MDB9.LtsXPchf5LOY-qOvvRGn9lq__tmp0nazeZPnQ72rjvkMQ"},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1467],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 things to do before you go on-call for the first time<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Going on-call for the first time? 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