Post Incident Review Guidelines for Fire Services

A formal review of an emergency incident conducted after it occurs.

The review should focus on improving performance and learning from mistakes, not assigning blame.

Involving participants from various divisions and outside agencies ensures a wide range of perspectives.

All personnel involved in the incident should participate to ensure comprehensive learning.

The review should focus on verifiable facts, not speculation or conjecture.

Reviewing the sequence of events in chronological order provides a clear understanding of what happened.

Evaluate how the alarm was received, dispatched, and initial response procedures were handled.

Assess any pre-arrival problems that impacted response time, such as traffic, weather, or vehicle issues.

Review the initial radio report upon arrival, ensuring it followed Incident Management System procedures.

Analyze the initial size-up of the incident, including assessments of the situation and resource needs.

A document that provides a set of guidelines for conducting PIRs within Toronto Fire Services.

All personnel involved in the incident are required to actively participate in the PIR process, providing insights and contributing to the discussion.

District Chiefs are responsible for organizing, coordinating, and conducting the PIR for incidents that occurred under their command.

PIRs should be conducted as soon as possible after the incident, ideally the next day, to allow time for reflection and minimize the impact of fatigue.

PIRs should be conducted for any incident or event that the Incident Commander believes could benefit the responding personnel by providing valuable lessons.

The focus of the PIR should be on identifying effective strategies and tactics, highlighting successful actions, and fostering a learning environment for future responses.

Participants in the PIR should strive to be objective in their assessment and provide constructive criticism with a positive attitude, focusing on improvement rather than blame.

To improve performance and ensure efficient and effective responses during future incidents.

A structured approach to managing emergencies, involving clear responsibilities, communication channels, and decision-making processes. It provides a framework for coordination and efficient response.

Evaluates whether the strategies, tactics, and tasks used in an incident were effective and contributed to a successful outcome. It assesses the overall effectiveness of the plan.

Evaluates the effectiveness of communication channels, information flow, and decision-making processes during an incident.

Examines the effectiveness of fire protection systems, equipment, and devices in mitigating the incident.

Analyzes the cause of the fire, identifying potential contributing factors and aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Examines the use of human and physical resources, including personnel and equipment deployment, to determine their efficiency and effectiveness.

Evaluates the effectiveness of existing Standard Operating Guidelines and Policies in guiding actions during the incident.

Involves reviewing safety measures put in place during the incident to identify areas for improvement and ensure the safety of responders.

Identifies areas where future responses can be improved, focusing on lessons learned and enhancing preparedness for future incidents.