Which term describes a formal review after an incident to evaluate response and identify improvements?

• A. Debriefing
• B. Post-incident analysis
• C. Incident critique
• D. After-action review

Answer: (D)

The main idea is after-action review, a formal, structured look at how the incident was managed to identify what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve. This process goes beyond a quick debrief by documenting findings, comparing performance to objectives, and producing actionable recommendations and an official report. It’s designed to turn experience into concrete improvements, updating training, procedures, equipment readiness, and coordination practices for future responses. A debriefing is typically a shorter, informal discussion right after the incident, so it may miss the formal analysis and action plan. The other terms are not standard in this context: post-incident analysis can be broader and less process-driven, and incident critique isn’t a recognized formal review in incident management.