Fillable Printable Sample After Action Report Format
Fillable Printable Sample After Action Report Format
Sample After Action Report Format
Appendix 19
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Sample After Action Format
DATE: (Date prepared/submitted)
SUBJECT: After Action Report – (Event Title)
FROM: (Person Preparing report)
TO: (Primary Person in Chain of Command)
CC: (Courtesy Copy to interested individuals)
1. PURPOSE:
Establish the facts.
What was the mission description?
What did we set out to do?
What were the key tasks involved?
Define acceptable standards for success.
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Continue to establish the facts.
What actually happened?
Relevant times and dates
Cause and effect, Why did it happen? Focus on the What not the Who.
3. LESSONS LEARNED
What can we do better next time?
Focus on items you can fix and try to suggest solutions to identified problems
If you don’t have a solution that’s OK but you should try to provide some options.
Identify successes to maintain those strengths
4. COMMENTS
This includes good and bad performance, questionable actions. It can also
include suggested changes in policy or really anything that the submitter wants
the chain-of-command to know about. However, touchy or dangerous subjects
such as potential disciplinary items are usually handled personally and not in a
report like this that has general distribution.
5. ACTION ITEMS
Develop a list of what actions to take to fix specific needs.
Timelines and responsibilities
Appendix
Who participated?
Agencies/individuals
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Sample - After Action Report
DATE: December 31, 2006
SUBJECT: After Action Report – Carr Canyon Falls (McCarty Rescue)
FROM: Robert Hollister
TO: David Noland, CCSO SAR Coordinator
CC: Mike Evans, CC Emergency Services
Roy Cook, CCSO SAR Coordinator
1. PURPOSE:
This report briefly describes the support provided by the RACES Communications team
to the Cochise County Search and Rescue Team on 30 December 2006. It does not
address SAR specific operational issues.
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
At approximately 17:30 on 30 December 2006 hours the RACES team received
notification by page of a technical rescue near the Carr Canyon Falls area in the
Huachuca Mountains. It had been reported that two juveniles (Ages 13 & 17) were
stranded on the side of the mountain. Apparently they started their exploration during
daylight hours but recognized they were beyond their capabilities and required
assistance once the sun dropped below the mountain and it got dark and quite cold. We
arrived on scene at approximately 18:00 hours and set up operations at the lower
parking lot. After an arduous effort by the SAR Technical Team, under the additional
difficulties of cold weather and darkness, the young boys were safely and successfully
pulled to the top of the cliff at approximately 22:00 hours. The SO SAR Team was
augmented by the Fry Fire Technical Team. The mission was completed and the MCU
returned to the Club Site by 22:30.
3. LESSONS LEARNED
All systems were operational during this mission with the exception of the mission
support laptop computer. The previously reported screen problem continues to be an
issue. On this mission we basically had to use the mapping support computer for both
mapping and to prepare the IC 309 Communications logs. Hopefully the long promised
replacement laptop will be issued to us early in the new year.
During the long cold evening the coffee pot was a popular accessory and the MCU
became a gathering point for people to stay warm and keep informed of the progress of
the team on the cliff side. Unfortunately the abundance of people and their chatter trying
to occupy the small operations area occasionally made it hard for the communications
team and the IC staff to conduct the mission and hear what was going on.
The issue of co-channel interference was noted again. In this case the interference
between the CC-SAR, AZ SAR and CMA channels was noticeable. It was partially
mitigated by moving the CC-SAR activity from the High Power Motorola to the Yaesu
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FT-2800 operating at a lower power level and the RACES Activity to the FT-2600. We
need to continue experimenting with this to find the best mix of radio/antennas to
resolve this on-going problem. The limits of physical space on top of the truck make
this a challenge.
Each mission allows team members to learn new skills or refresh seldom used skills.
This mission was no exception providing opportunities to work with the mapping
software to learn additional features and learning how to quickly format the IC 309
Communications form.
4. COMMENTS
A family member related to the victims was also introduced into the communications
van during the mission by a senior SO Officer and was allowed to remain. This is
against our normal procedures and considered to be a bad idea to allow any family
members or members of the press to remain in the communications van while we are
trying to run operations. Fortunately the rescue went smoothly but I would ask the
Sheriff’s Office SAR Coordinator’s assist us in keeping the communication van relatively
free of non essential personnel. It gets pretty hectic in the van during missions and
extended stays by non essential personnel adds further noise and confusion to the
effort. I extend my thanks to Gene Wheeler for recognizing this situation and bringing
the DUI van out from Sierra Vista and moving the crowd out near the end of the
mission.
5. ACTION ITEMS
1 – Request that the issue of the laptop screen be moved up in priority.
2 – Refresh coffee supply
Appendix - Participants
CCSO SAR Team
CCSO Sheriff’s Assist Team
Fry Fire Technical Team
AZ DPS Tucson Ranger
RACES Team
Bob Hollister – Team Lead
Dale Chidester - MCU Operator
Lee Ilse – MCU Operator and Chase Vehicle
Pat Thies – Home Unit Monitor
Floyd Sharp – Home Unit Monitor
