Otherwise Known as a “Hot Wash” 1

 Review conducted immediately after an exercise has concluded  Delivered in a Discussion and/or Brief Presentation Format  Conducted by the Exercise Controller(s) 2

 Verify that exercise goals were achieved  Identify areas of strength and improvement for exercise design, training, and staffing  Evaluate upgrades and corrections in the PODS planning, activation, operation, and deactivation processes  Aid in planning future POD trainings and exercises 3

What to watch for throughout the exercise:  Are exercise objectives being met?  Are participants fulfilling their roles?  Are participants communicating effectively?  How are key events and actions handled?  Are there any problems with site preparation, exercises procedures, and/or the simulation? 4

After the exercise has concluded:  The controller or presenter should prepare discussion points using information from evaluation forms  Talking points should address the issues witnessed by the controller during the exercise and any lessons learned 5

 Were PODS policies followed during the exercise? ◦ Unaccompanied Minor, persons presenting with symptoms of the illness, Head of Household distributions, Safety/security, etc.  Did the POD traffic flow smoothly?  Was the ICS chain-of-command adhered to throughout the exercise?  Did the exercise adequately test participants’ capability to implement their POD plan? 6

 Prepare a presentation template prior to the exercise  Include some initial talking points for the “Hot Wash”  Take a short break after the exercise to confer with the observers to add additional talking points to the presentation  Review and discuss critical communications and actions at the beginning of the review  Use visual aids to address talking points whenever possible 7

 Field as many questions as possible  Let the discussion points stimulate an exchange among participants  Make note of post-exercise action items for follow-up  Thank everyone for participating in the exercise and after action review  Celebrate the strengths identified during the exercise ◦ Participants should walk away feeling confident and engaged, not defeated 8

 The Hot Wash is the time to express immediate thoughts about what worked and what did not during exercise  Controllers should remember to: 1.Observe 2.Discuss 3.Make note 4.Follow up 9