“Hotwashing” is an emergency response concept you can apply to your crisis comms.

Hinda Mitchell, President, Inspire PR Group

In the world of emergency preparedness, a hotwash is a term assigned to the after-action debrief in emergencies like natural disasters. The term originated in the military, where soldiers used extremely hot water to remove residue and debris from their weapons after firing.

Everyone involved in a crisis response should be part of the hotwash exercise. It’s the opportunity to understand where things went right, where things went wrong, and what related improvements might be made to the crisis response program.

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In a crisis, most people just want to resume their normal lives. They naturally are grateful that it is over. However, that is one step short of a full end to management of a crisis. It is essential to bring your crisis team back together and to go through a hotwash exercise. The learning that you get and the perspectives of different team members are critical to decision making going forward.

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