After Action Review (AAR) – Part 2

Continued from: AAR Part 1

The Chainsaw After Action Review

The scenario: It's late. The crew has worked the fire for sixteen hours straight. No one has eaten a hot meal for days and, oh yeah, you might as well be cold.

No time for an AAR? Think again! There’s plenty of time for a chainsaw AAR.

The idea behind the chainsaw AAR is simple: speed. When you need to get an AAR done quickly, try this simple format.

1. Have the team form a loose circle.

2. Start with a single team member and ask one of these questions:

• What is one thing that went well on this shift?
• What is one thing that did not go well on this shift?
• What is one thing you would do differently next time?
• What is one thing you learned today?

3. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance. It may be necessary to place a time limit on each individual (such as 30 seconds).

4. Avoid unnecessary discussion (dinner is waiting).

5. Note the comments for future discussion.