Contribute
Built by the people who run the calls.
Tailboard is volunteer-supported and grant-funded. Join an editor board, review a draft, author a template, or improve the code.
Ways to help
Four lanes. Pick the one that fits.
Subject-matter review
Review a draft template in your area of expertise (fire ops, EMS protocol, use-of-force, vehicle pursuit, HIPAA, etc.). Your name goes on the byline. Police templates require SME review before public publication.
Time commitment: 2–4 hours per template.
Email us with your area of expertise →Author a template
Have a policy area not yet covered? Author it. We provide a structured template format, a style guide, and editor feedback.
Time commitment: 8–20 hours per template depending on depth.
Email us with your topic →Improve the code
Tailboard is a static Next.js site with TypeScript and Tailwind. Pull requests welcome for accessibility, performance, build tooling, and feature work.
Time commitment: bring whatever fits your week.
Email for repo access →Sponsor an editor board
Each discipline (fire, EMS, police) is overseen by a volunteer editor board of practitioners and counsel. We're recruiting board members and small operational grants to fund SME stipends and case-review panels.
Time commitment: quarterly meeting + as needed.
Email about editor boards →Ground rules
What we ask of contributors.
- Cite the standard.Every claim ties back to NFPA, OSHA, NIOSH, NHTSA, HIPAA, IACP, CALEA, DOJ, or constitutional case law. No anonymous "best practice."
- Write for the reader, not the binder.Plain English. Short sentences. No "shall" / "hereby" / "heretofore." Imperative voice when possible.
- Mark uncertainty. Where state law varies, mark
[INSERT STATE]. Where medical scope is involved, mark[MEDICAL DIRECTOR PROTOCOL]. - No PHI, no agency-sensitive information.Templates are public. Don't paste anything from a real call or case.
- Attribution. Contributors are credited by name and role on the templates they author or review, unless they request otherwise.
- License. Contributions are licensed CC-BY 4.0. By contributing, you agree to that license for your contribution.
Ready to start?
Email us with your area of expertise and what you'd like to work on. We'll respond within a week.