What is an incident timeline used for after-action reviews?

• A. To assign blame to individuals.
• B. To reconstruct events, evaluate response, identify gaps, and inform improvements and training.
• C. To delay training.
• D. To document personal achievements.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that an incident timeline in after-action reviews is used to reconstruct the sequence of events and how the response unfolded. By laying out what happened, when each action occurred, who performed it, and what communications and decisions took place, you can see how the response flowed, where delays or bottlenecks happened, and how different actions influenced outcomes.

This objective reconstruction helps identify gaps in procedures, training needs, or resource readiness, so you can turn those insights into concrete improvements—updated processes, targeted training, more effective drills, and clearer roles for future incidents. It’s about learning and improvement, not assigning blame.