How to Conduct an After Action Review Otherwise Known as a “Hot Wash”

What is an After Action Review or “Hot Wash?” Review conducted immediately after an exercise has concluded Delivered in a Discussion and/or Brief Presentation Format Conducted by the Exercise Controller(s)

Goals of an After Action Review Verify that exercise goals were achieved Identify areas of strength and improvement for exercise design, training, and staffing Evaluate upgrades and corrections in the PODS planning, activation, operation, and deactivation processes Aid in planning future POD trainings and exercises

Preparing for an After Action Review What to watch for throughout the exercise: Are exercise objectives being met? Are participants fulfilling their roles? Are participants communicating effectively? How are key events and actions handled? Are there any problems with site preparation, exercises procedures, and/or the simulation?

Preparing for an After Action Review After the exercise has concluded: The controller or presenter should prepare discussion points using information from evaluation forms Talking points should address the issues witnessed by the controller during the exercise and any lessons learned

Example Hot Wash Discussion Points Were PODS policies followed during the exercise? Unaccompanied Minor, persons presenting with symptoms of the illness, Head of Household distributions, Safety/security, etc. Did the POD traffic flow smoothly? Was the ICS chain-of-command adhered to throughout the exercise? Did the exercise adequately test participants’ capability to implement their POD plan?

After Action Review Tips Prepare a presentation template prior to the exercise Include some initial talking points for the “Hot Wash” Take a short break after the exercise to confer with the observers to add additional talking points to the presentation Review and discuss critical communications and actions at the beginning of the review Use visual aids to address talking points whenever possible

After Action Review Tips Field as many questions as possible Let the discussion points stimulate an exchange among participants Make note of post-exercise action items for follow-up Thank everyone for participating in the exercise and after action review Celebrate the strengths identified during the exercise Participants should walk away feeling confident and engaged, not defeated

Final Thoughts…. The Hot Wash is the time to express immediate thoughts about what worked and what did not during exercise Controllers should remember to: Observe Discuss Make note Follow up