BY Adam LaReau and Brice Long
When the bell rings, firefighters go. They get in their rigs and set out to conquer whatever challenges lie ahead, relying on their training, their instincts, and each other. The resolution of the call and serving the public—saving lives, protecting property, and mitigating emergencies—are what matter. Every response is a valuable opportunity to perform the tasks to which so much training time has been dedicated and a chance to collect coveted exposure to real-world emergencies (aka experience).
Experience is the gold standard in the fire service, and responding to a wide variety of scenarios increases the breadth and depth of a firefighter’s toolbox. Although progress is not built on experience alone, deliberate review of any response (experiences and training exercises) drives progress. Analysis of the events before, during, and after all operations is vital to ensuring firefighters are better and more prepared each time they respond. Each member, crew, and department should implement a standardized process for critically examining the outcome of every run. In the military, especially the Special Operations community, this is an essential practice. Referred to as the After-Action Review (AAR), this exercise is built into the culture, setting the foundation to grow and improve every day as an individual and a unit.
Setting the Stage
An AAR (aka hot washes or debriefs) is a systematic analysis designed to provide feedback on performance during each phase of an operation, spanning predispatch through post-cleanup. Not only does it identify actions done well to sustain strengths but, more importantly, it highlights areas for improvement, focusing on adjustments and corrections for the next event. Although that sounds like a lot, the process does not need to be overly formal or complex. Simply put, the goal of an AAR is to reduce the number of the same mistakes made twice and encourage repeat wins. The AAR is an experience multiplier: Sharing multiple perspectives allows one member to learn from the experiences of many. To be successful in this, AARs must be thorough, organized, and professional from the ground up.
(1) Firefighters are thinking outside the box as they review apparatus positioning following a fire. (Photo by Brandon Edwards.)
A strong debrief begins with the individuals participating. The players involved need the right mentality at the outset, or the exercise is doomed from the start. Success requires embracing communication, trust, and honesty with a focus on the desired result: evolution. Each firefighter should arrive at the AAR with a growth mindset—a belief that one can improve and clear objectives—and a willingness to participate in an objective self-reflection. This mindset is a prerequisite for progress.
Members must also be supported at the unit or company level. Effective team communications require professional, open, and honest interactions. To foster this culture, it is important for debriefs to be as flat as possible, with participants checking their ranks at the door. In effective debriefs, all perspectives matter; consider that the new firefighter may have seen something the chief did not, or vice versa. For the duration of the review, the focus should not deviate from the goals of improvement and recalibration. Leaders, formal and informal, need to keep the discussion on task. It’s important that members within the unit hold one another accountable consistently and that hurt feelings, freak-outs, and temper tantrums are not tolerated. When the individual mindsets and team culture are aligned in this way, effective AARs can occur.
Framework and Execution
Once the players and team are on board, the next steps are to design an effective AAR template and plan to execute it. Then, repeat it. And repeat it. And repeat it again. Consistency and building a routine are key; the more frequently the implementation, the more effective the result. AARs should be used for all operations—actual incidents and training, and wins or losses. To begin, here are some points to address in each AAR:
• What was supposed to happen?
• What actually happened?
• Why did it happen that way?
• What will we do to improve the way we do it next time?
Each debrief can follow the same template, and repetition will allow the team to find an operational rhythm inclusive of AARs. Looking at each component of a single incident or training evolution with the above questions in mind, the outline for a debrief takes shape:
• Call. The nature of the emergency that was dispatched and the true nature on arrival.
• Preplanning. Was this address preplanned? Did the plan match the incident?
• Training. Effectiveness of previous training to prepare for this call.
• Dispatch/response. Assess the response time including the time out the door, the route to the scene, and how well-prepared the crew was on arrival.
• On-scene. Effectiveness of tactics and operations.
• Under control/overhaul. Actions after the incident was placed under control.
• Cleanup/decon. Were proper procedures followed for returning to service? If not, why not?
• Return to service. Was the crew packed up and made ready in an efficient and timely manner?
• Outcomes. What was the overall result of the incident?
• Lessons learned. What should be done differently next time? What should be done in the same way?
• Reporting. Was documentation, including the notes for an AAR, done appropriately?
• Comments. Follow-ups, reflections of leaders and key members.
There will be common issues relevant to every operation that should be addressed as a supplement to the chronological debrief. Although they may vary for each organization or team, these items span the duration of the operation or are friction points that are frequently the root cause of failures. Consider items like the adherence to or deviation from standard operating procedures, communications, and the implementation of the incident command system when compiling this list.
Although a standardized template builds familiarity and routine, the outline should be dynamic and flexible enough to accurately represent the needs of the team as it grows or as the organization changes. Debriefs are conducted for the benefit of a specific unit, so the structure should be tailored as such. See the sidebar for an example specific to the fire service based on a Special Operations AAR template. Use it as a starting point with the understanding that there is great value in creating something unique to your team. This process will help cover all appropriate points and ensure buy-in when it comes time to use it.
Overcoming Friction
As with all hard-charging type-A professionals, introducing and implementing a new practice can make firefighters uneasy and present challenges for leaders. AARs will be no different; indeed, they may prove to be more difficult than redirection of tactics or procedures.
What makes AARs so tough? Fear. In their view, all members have something at stake, and opening up can jeopardize their standing or reputation.
Leaders or veterans. If not brought up in a culture of AAR, these seasoned members are harboring a fear of being exposed. Frequently looked to for answers, a misstep can be viewed as a reputation crusher. This demographic group fears being dethroned for having done something incorrectly, for making a bad decision, or for not knowing the right answer all the time.
Probies fear speaking up because it might demonstrate inexperience. No one wants to be the new member who asks all the stupid questions, let alone stand out for not knowing any answers. In the hyper-competitive race for acceptance, many new members will view even the slightest wrong move as a setback. As a result, the inclination will be to avoid risks to minimize miscues and sweep the ones that do occur under the rug.
Firefighters in the middle fear everything. Not quite veterans but no longer new members, their fear encompasses the concerns of leaders or veterans and probies. For these members, showing inexperience is damaging, as is exposing any lack of knowledge that could prevent their promotion. In an industry where reputation is the currency, middle-of-the-road members will scrape to preserve the wealth they have accumulated at all costs.
The truth is that succumbing to these fears and avoiding an AAR will not help make any firefighter or company better. In fact, avoiding an AAR can have the complete opposite effect than the assumptions listed above. Open participation in an organized debrief demonstrates confidence and a dedication to the pursuit of mastering one’s craft—at any level. High performers seek analysis and criticism because they lead to improvement.
Identifying challenges from the outset and preempting them with solutions are vital to facilitating a productive interaction. Following are a few likely sticking points and work-arounds.
When critiquing the events of an operation, talk about the situation, not a person. It’s much less important to pinpoint who made a mistake than it is to describe the action and identify what caused the mistake to occur. No one learns a lesson from shoving a teammate under the bus; instead, outline what went wrong and the steps for avoiding it in the future.
Avoid nonspecific language, and do not dodge responsibility. It’s important to use “I” to describe your reactions. It’s your opinion—own it. This practice will demonstrate confidence and encourage open and honest communications.
No group thinking. This is not the time for “going with the flow” or sheepish behavior to avoid confrontation. If participants have a growth mindset, criticism can remain constructive and will be recognized as an opportunity to get better, not as a threat. Are you usually the loudest person in the room? If so, recognize that, and don’t hog the floor. Disseminate the information and rotate the discussion. Give everyone the floor to speak.
Respect the perspectives of everyone involved. How you saw things will be different from the way others saw them. Call it a “Fog of War.” The view from the pump panel is drastically different from that from the second-floor hallway, but each perspective is important in breaking down the incident. All angles have value.
Check-the-box AARs don’t work. Simply doing an AAR for the sake of doing it and going through the motions is a waste. This situation is easily identified by commentary like, “Let’s hurry up and get it over with,” “I don’t have much to say,” “I agree,” and “This is a waste of time.” Sessions that sound like this involve no critical thinking or self-assessment and provide no benefit.
Consider the environment. Avoid conducting AARs in areas fraught with distractions. It might be obvious, but make sure you find a space that physically fits everyone who needs to be in the room. Choose a location that sets the tone for a serious discussion: no food, no TV, no cell phones.
Understand the difference between fault and responsibility. Fault places blame and injects excuses: “It’s not my fault that I couldn’t force that door. I’d never seen that lock before.” Fault is unproductive. Conversely, responsibility fosters ownership and acceptance: “I failed to force that door because I haven’t studied enough.” Responsibility provides a way to move forward; fault does not.
Outcomes
AARs exist only to improve the performance of individuals and the team. They are not gripe sessions, an opportunity to point fingers, or a time to chastise members for mistakes. From each firefighter to the company, an AAR is a comprehensive review of an operation that will identify strengths, weaknesses, and a path forward to an improved outcome on the next run. Equally important to the AAR process is what happens next. The AAR teases out the action items; the next step is to put what was learned into action. Do not leave the valuable information mined during a debrief to die afterward. Leaders are responsible for ensuring feedback becomes actionable training to reinforce wins and correct losses. It’s essential that the intelligence gained from a good debrief is shared. Lessons learned should be distributed so that other members, companies, shifts, and departments will benefit as well.
At the end of the day, the fire service exists to serve the public. Keep that in mind when deciding how much effort to put into an AAR. Are you the person you’d want answering your 911 call? Is your company that company? If the answer is yes, then you likely know the dedication it takes to maintain that level of proficiency and will see the value of an AAR. If your answer is no, use each call to action as an opportunity to improve. Take the time to debrief every run, learn from your mistakes, and emphasize your strengths. Don’t do it for yourself; do it for your company and for the citizens you protect. “Don’t wish it was easier. Wish you were better.”–Jim Rohn
Adam LaReau is a cofounder and the operations and curriculum development director of O2X Human Performance, a training and educational company. He was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and a Midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). He was the first USMMA Midshipman to report directly to, and successfully complete, the U.S. Navy’s BUD/SEAL training. After 10 years with the East Coast-based SEAL teams, he left active duty in 2013. He has an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is the founder of One Summit, a nonprofit to help children with cancer build resilience.
Brice Long is the director of human performance experience at O2X; a former career firefighter from Stafford, Virginia; and an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist. In Stafford, his most recent assignment was the training division, where he led recruit academies, company officer development programs, field training, and conditioning programs for the academy and firefighters in the field.
