Policy Text
Field Services Page 1 of 4 06/03 (REV 1/04)
Major Incident After-Acti on Report and Debriefing
The purpose of this order is to outline policy and procedure fo r completing an after-
action report and debrie fing major incidents.
I. Major Incident Defined
A major incident shall be defined as any incident, which has th e potential for, or
results in, the loss of life, maj or loss of property, or result s in the activation of the
Standardized Emergency Management S ystem (SEMS). Examples incl ude:
A. Hostage situations or barricaded subjects
B. Officer involved shootings
C. Explosions
D. Disasters (man-made and natural)
II. Guidelines
A. An After-Action report is to document the facts involved in the incident for
internal review. The purpose is to enable Sheriff’s Department
Management Personnel to evaluate t he situation, strategies, pro cedures,
and to make reference to, fo r department awards and commendatio ns.
B. The purpose of the debriefing is to identify strengths and d eficiencies in
tactics, training, equipment, and policy. The debriefing shall be
independent of any administrative or disciplinary review, crimi nal
investigation, or critical inc ident stress debriefing. No info rmation
developed or revealed during t he debriefing may be used in any
administrative or criminal proce eding unless independently deve loped and
corroborated by a para llel investigation.
C. The After-Action Report, and any records of discussions duri ng the
debriefing, are records of the in ternal security procedures, an d are exempt
from public disclosure pursuan t to § 6254(f) of the California Government
Code.
Field Services Page 2 of 4 06/03 (REV 1/04) III. After-Action Report
A. The Division Comm ander, Incident Commander, or Planning/Inte l Officer
(as appropriate) shall summarize all topics covered at the debr iefing and
forward a report to the Chief Deput y of Field Services. The re port shall
conform to the format and conten t guidelines of the Office of E mergency
Services “red book”, and shall include:
1. A synopsis of major ev ents during the incident
2. A listing or roster of per sonnel deployed and hours worked
3. Arrests (if any)
4. Officer and Citizen injuries (if any)
5. A listing of expendit ures and reimbursements
6. Significant problems encountered
7. Suggestions for improvement
8. Recommendations for handling fu ture incidents of this type, both
positive and negative
9. Recommendations for future officer training
10. Recommendations for awards and/or commendations
IV. Responsibility For Conduct
A. The Division Commander or thei r designee in which the incide nt occurred
shall be responsible fo r the production of the After-Action Rep ort and
conducting the debriefing.
B. For events that span more t han one district, or result in th e activation of
the Department Emergency Operati ons Center, the Incident Comman der
(or Planning and Intel Officer, if such a position was activate d) shall be
responsible for the production of the After-Action Report and c onducting
the debriefing.
Field Services Page 3 of 4 06/03 (REV 1/04) V. Timeline
A. The debriefing shall be conduc ted as soon as practical follo wing the event.
Selection of the date must be approved by the Chief Deputy of F ield
Services, and should be influenc ed by the following factors:
1. Availability of the ma jority of participants
a. Conflicts with other sc heduled events and training or
ongoing issue in the field
B. Availability of a s uitable location
C. Availability of command staff or others with an interest in attending
D. Upon approval, a memorandum cont aining the time, date, and l ocation
shall be distributed to all who we re directly involved in the i ncident. This
memorandum shall also be posted and distributed department-wide by e-
mail, so that any other inter ested parties may attend. The debr iefing will
be for department personnel only, unless otherwise approved by the
Division Commander or Chief D eputy of Field Services.
VI. Format
A. A moderator will be chosen by the Division Commander or Chie f Deputy to
facilitate the debriefing.
B. Debriefing procedures:
1. Introduction of VIP’s
2. Overview of incident
a. Video and photographs to be used when practical
3. Active participants speak individually
4. Experts explain their procedures
C. Open discussion covering topics such as:
1. What worked well?
2. What problems were encountered?
3. What was/could be done to overcome the problem?
4. How could perfo rmance be improved?
Field Services Page 4 of 4 06/03 (REV 1/04)
5. What training needs w ere identified?
6. What equipment or resour ce needs were identified?
7. What additions or c hanges to policy are needed?
D. Close formal proceedings, thank ing participants and guests.
VII. Participation
A. The Division Commander (or Chief Deputy where employees from more
than one division are in volved) may elect to make attendance/pa rticipation
mandatory for employees involved in the event.
B. Expert personnel should be c