After Action Review

Scope

This Operational Guideline is for After Action Reviews (AAR), conducted after an incident and designed to analyse the operation and improve future operations.

Fundamental Protocols underpin the actions of all NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) members and must be adhered to at all times. They outline the Principles of being an RFS member and provide guidance on conduct to support the safety and wellbeing of members.

Guiding Principles

• An AAR is a debriefing that provides a forum for individuals or teams to share their ideas and identify practices that should be maintained, along with opportunities for further improvement.
• An AAR should be conducted after all incidents.
  • AARs for small “day to day” incidents will usually be short, uncomplicated, and not recorded, except for comments, if needed, on the fire report.
  • AARs for more complex or larger incidents, may be organised by the Incident Controller (IC) or District office.
• Each crew leader should conduct an AAR with the members of their crew, preferably immediately after an incident.
• Each Officer in Charge (OIC), Sector Leader, and Divisional Commander (Div Com), should conduct an AAR with those persons who reported directly to them during the incident, preferably as soon as possible after any AAR at a lower level in the chain of command has been completed.
• AARs should neither praise nor condemn actions but seek to meet the following objectives:
  • Assessing operational and organisational effectiveness;
  • Identifying organisational strengths that can be built on; and
  • Identifying areas where improvements can be made.
• Any written AAR findings, observations, or recommendations should be forwarded to:
  • Operational Improvement for review in-line with state-wide lessons management considerations; and/or
  • The relevant accountable stakeholder (e.g., District Manager (DM)).
• A written report of the Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) debrief is required to be submitted to the Commissioner for any fire coordinated under section 44 of the NSW Rural Fires Act, 1997.

Special Considerations

• It is suggested for a Potentially Traumatic Event (PTE) that Mental Health Services Peer Support Officers are advised through 1800 049 933. Mental Health Services will determine an appropriate response to the event.

Related Information

• After Action Review Facilitation Guide
• BFCC Policy No. 2/2006 Management of Bush Fire Operations
• Mental Health Services
• Rural Fires Act 1997
• Service Standard 1.5.6 Lessons Management Framework
• Service Standard 7.1.2 Critical Incident Support Services (CISS)