What should be included in post-incident documentation?

In post-incident documentation, it is essential to include details of the incident, the actions taken, injuries sustained, and lessons learned. This comprehensive approach ensures that the documentation serves multiple purposes: it preserves a factual account of what transpired, evaluates the effectiveness of the response, and identifies opportunities for improvement.

By detailing the actions taken, responders can assess whether the strategies employed were effective and how they can be refined in the future. Documenting injuries allows the department to analyze trends for safety improvements and also to provide necessary follow-up care for personnel involved. Including lessons learned is critical for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and safety, as it helps in training future responders and preparing them for similar incidents.

While other options may provide useful information, they do not cover the full spectrum of critical documentation needed for a thorough and constructive post-incident analysis. Casual observations, summaries of experiences, and equipment failures could indeed contribute to the overall understanding of the incident, but they lack the necessary structure and crucial details needed for effective evaluation and learning.