What is the first step after transitioning from emergency response?

The first step after transitioning from emergency response is conducting an incident debriefing. This process is critical for evaluating the response and identifying what worked well and what didn’t. During the debriefing, all involved personnel can share their experiences and insights, leading to valuable lessons learned that can inform future responses.

This step allows the team to analyze the overall incident effectively, addressing any challenges or successes that occurred. It also helps to maintain team cohesion and morale, as individuals can express their feelings and experiences regarding the incident.

The other activities, while important, typically follow the debriefing. Reassigning roles may occur during the operational period but is not the immediate next step once the emergency phase has concluded. Documenting incident costs generally comes after the debriefing as part of financial accountability and planning for future incidents. Gathering public feedback is also vital but usually happens later in the process, once officials have had the chance to assess the incident internally.