When is it appropriate to conduct an After Action Report?

Conducting an After Action Report (AAR) is essential practice in emergency response and rescue operations. The primary purpose of an AAR is to review what occurred during an incident once it has been fully resolved. This review process allows responders to analyze the actions taken during the event, assess effectiveness, identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

By conducting the AAR after the incident is concluded, responders can gather accurate data and feedback from all team members and involved parties while the details are still fresh in their minds. This timing also enables a comprehensive review of strategies, decisions made under pressure, and the overall outcome of the incident, facilitating continuous improvement in practices and protocols.

Addressing the timing of the other options: conducting an AAR during an incident would be impractical as the focus should remain on resolving the ongoing situation. Performing it before any incident occurs is not feasible, as there would be no real scenario to analyze. Similarly, while AAR principles may be relevant in training sessions, the structured After Action Report is specifically meant for post-incident evaluation rather than during training or preparation phases.