An After Action Review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event—focused on performance standards—that enables firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get the maximum benefit from every incident or project.
AARs are foundational to local unit learning. They provide an opportunity for dialogue and inquiry following every action and operation in which your unit participates.
Fire leaders walk the talk of a learning organization by scheduling routine debriefings to evaluate performance and apply the lessons learned.
AARs maximize learning from every operation, training event, or task. They represent a powerful tool for team and organizational learning.
AARs also allow people to share honest opinions and learn from each other. Fire leaders make sure that these debriefings focus on what instead of who and use them to improve weaknesses and to sustain strengths.
Most people (especially young firefighters) want to share their experiences. In order to get things started, try sharing with your crew your positive or negative thoughts related to the day’s events.
Once you (the leader) have demonstrated that the AAR works and that it will be part of your team’s Standard Operating Procedures, the discussion will become more open.
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