Learning from an incident
Approaches
There are many approaches that can be taken to review an emergency incident. In public reviews, a strict legal framework exists and the reviews are wide ranging. An example is the Michael Pitt Review of the 2007 Floods (Pitt 2008) or the Cullen Report into the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988. These reviews result in changes to government policies and industry practices. They can influence public spending and business markets and have a profound impact on public opinion; the Fennel report into the Kings Cross Fire of 1987 (Fennel 1998) is a good example of this.Such reports are often subject to intense media and political scrutiny, sometimes seeking to undermine the findings or the methodologies used. An example of this is 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Kean 2011). This report came under intense scrutiny in the media and amongst academics and other professionals in the field; what damage is done to the credibility of such reviews?Credibility
The issue of credibility can affect each level of the review process. At the micro level, performance reviews can lead to implications for training and equipment budgets, individual human resource issues such as promotion and even salary judgements. It is important, therefore, to understand the key components that bring credibility.The use of accepted and tested investigative techniques such as fault tree analysis and schematic report analysis diagrams add a degree of rigour to enquiries. Conducting the enquiry in an open and inclusive way, especially without seeking blame or confrontation, is also vital. Probably most important is an acceptance by all involved that the aim is to prevent such disasters from recurring or to improve performance when they do. Such an aim applies as much to on-scene hot debriefs as it does to the full public enquiry.Your task
How do you think scrutiny results in meaningful change?
References
Fennel, D. (1988) Investigation into the King’s Cross Underground Fire [online] available from https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=75 [1 May 2018] Kean, T. (2011) The 9/11 Comisison Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. [online] available from https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/ [1 May 2018] Pitt, M. (2008) The Pitt Review: Learning Lessons from the 2007 Floods [online] available from http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100702215619/http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/pittreview/thepittreview/final_report.html [1 May 2018] Toft, B., and Reynolds, S. (2005) Learning from Disasters. SpringerEmergency Management: Risk, Incidents and Leadership

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