BY BRAD BIGRIGG AND CYNTHIA ROSS TUSTIN
One of the most challenging tasks a fire officer must execute comes after the action following an emergency response, a training evolution, or a fire prevention activity. Without exception, every fire officer in the modern world is required to complete some type of incident report, staffing sheet, or response form. Although many of us continue to debate the need for paperwork at anytime, unfortunately, documentation is a necessary evil for fire service professionals and is particularly critical post-incident. The reality is that no one likes paperwork, and it’s human nature to avoid it.
The intent of this article is to go beyond the need to take notes and help you develop the skills necessary to make good notes-notes that will help you complete departmental incident reports, prepare for court, or refresh your memory if you are called to the witness stand. The better your notes, the better your ability will be to withstand any attempt to impeach your credibility or question your professional competency in the field.
If you know that you are going to have to write a post-incident report, then the simplest and most common way to gather the necessary information is through your handwritten notes during, or immediately following, the emergency. Much has been written about the need for members of the fire and emergency medical services to take notes, and several excellent training plans are available. Members of the fire service who do not currently take notes following an incident or an event may be a liability for the department. Every member of the department should be issued a notebook and encouraged or directed to take notes, even in an abbreviated form, following an incident.
As we pass through our careers in the fire service, we see things differently than others we work with within the organization. As a recruit firefighter, we observe, practice, and perfect task-level skills, the “getting-the-job-done” part of firefighting. As officers, we focus on mentoring firefighters, developing the skill sets of the team, and the ability of our firefighters to work together to get the job done safely within an incident management system. As chief officers, we focus on overall outcomes at the strategic level.
The point to be made here is that although we may all be working at the same incident, each of us will have a different perspective. Your perspective is unique; therefore, the content of your notes will be unique. The only thing that should be consistent in your department with respect to note making is the approach. Except for verbatim statements or comments, the chance that two firefighters or paramedics will have the same notes is astronomical.
In an incident such as a dumpster fire or a carbon monoxide call, the officer or paramedic’s notes concerning the event can be very simple. Basic information such as time, date, location, name of the patient, address, DOB, history, allergies, medications, treatment, and transport should be gathered. For a dumpster fire, typical notes may include time, date, address or relevant location, materials in the dumpster, owner information, extinguishment options, and notification of public works.
During a major incident such as a working fire or a bus accident with multiple victims, our notes need to include greater detail. Remember the old adage, “Big fire, big water”? Just consider “Big fire, big notes.” Officers should be encouraged to write notes throughout the incident or as soon as possible. Notes may be written on scrap paper, a tactical worksheet, in fire service memo pads, or on cigarette packages; but the most credible notes will likely be those committed to a member’s personal notebook. If you get nothing else from this article, at least remember to write lots, write often, and write as soon after the incident as possible. This is when your memory is the freshest and the most reliable. As evidence, notes made concurrently with the event or those made immediately afterward are considered the most accurate and the most credible.
When training company officers to make notes, we spend a considerable amount of time on the how and why of note taking. In addition to teaching them about the minimum factual content that they should be including, we should spend some quality time encouraging them to record their observations. Much of what we have discussed earlier in this article is critical to effective note making, but the ability to recognize and document essential observations is usually what can make or break good evidence or good report writing. Since your notes are intended to refresh your memory, they should include your actions. You’re not just gathering data; your notes need to be an account of the event. Additionally, senior officers and incident commanders should consider some of these points when creating their notes:
If you are tasked with teaching your staff how to take notes, or you just want to “refresh their memory,” you may wish to try the following exercise. It can be used several ways, depending on the skill level of the audience. A videotape or a DVD is the main tool needed for this evolution-that and a good working relationship with your local media are all you’ll really need. Whenever possible, use the film footage from a recent fire or an event your department has experienced. If you can’t get something local, any footage will do. Then, it’s a matter of role-playing. Have all the students observe the first three minutes, or less, of the clip from the incident commander’s perspective, then provide them with blank notebook pages and ask them to record their notes in anticipation of returning to the station to fill out the incident report. Then review the lesson on note taking (see sidebar in this article). Repeat the process of watching the video and making notes. Repeating the process several times or using different clips in conjunction with evaluating the students’ notes will help them refine their technique. Remember, the objective of this lesson is to develop basic skill.
When doing this exercise with more experienced officers, use longer video clips of more complex events. The primary objective of this exercise is to create an understanding of the need to avoid tunnel vision and to view the entire scene for what it actually is. In many cases, we are greeted by scenes of confusion and misinformation on our initial arrival. The use of longer video clips simulates the often overwhelming amount of information the senior officers and incident commanders receive during an event and allows them the opportunity to learn to avoid tunnel vision, to filter what’s critical and what isn’t, and to make notes during the incident. After they make the necessary notes, lead the group through a discussion of their observations and notes.
The making of quality notes is an ongoing process. It is not a skill that stays with you for very long if it is not practiced on a regular basis. More frequently than ever, fire and EMS personnel are being looked to for quality notes reflecting decision making and operational actions undertaken during major incidents. The implementation of a note taking/note making training program helps fire service and EMS providers demonstrate professional competence in the field, support the risk management process, and reduce the opportunity for others to impeach their credibility.
CHECKLIST FOR DOCUMENTATION
- Write legibly or print neatly.
- Use permanent black or blue ink, and use the same pen throughout the note.
- Begin the entry with date and time and weather conditions.
- End your note with your full signature and rank.
- Describe pertinent information.
- Write objectively.
- Write entries in consecutive and chronological order, with no skipped lines or gaps.
- Make entries as soon as possible.
- Be factual and specific.
- Place direct quotes in parentheses.
- Document names correctly.
- To correct an error, draw a single line through the mistake, and then initial it.
- Use a bound notebook with numbered pages.
- Use approved or recognized abbreviations or short forms (“Str” for street or “IC” for incident commander).
Pitfalls That Will Call Your Professional Credibility into Question
- Whiting out or erasing entries.
- Crossing out words beyond recognition.
- Making assumptions, drawing conclusions, or blaming.
- Leaving blank spots between your entry and your signature.
- Removing pages.
- Leaving gaps in your notes.
- Fire hall jargon (write “connected to a hydrant,” not “caught a plug”).
