Your Loggist’s Role

To ensure that all activities are captured during the incident to inform and progress and also available for future reference

Record Keeping

No record, no proof ....

“Unfortunately, it is not possible to examine in detail the London Ambulance Services’s response to the Edgeware Road explosion ... Because records of the response were not maintained. The timeline provided to us by the London Ambulance Service contains no entries beyond 9:21 am ... This failure to maintain records is not unique to the Ambulance Service; the London Fire Brigade has also commented ... On the failure to record information about its response and the need to do so in future.”

London Assembly – Report of the 7 July Review Committee 6 June 2006 3.37 page 52

The question you will be judged on:

“Did the decision maker at the time, reach a reasonable decision?”

....not (necessarily) the “right” decision!

Quick Reminder

Decision Maker = Person you are logging for/Chair

1^st Action for Loggist and Chair

Discuss together the process of how you shall log for them, and how they shall clearly indicate to you the action and decisions made, ensuring an accurate account is noted

• Date the log book and complete the inside cover
• Make notes in permanent black ink
• Note the date, time, place and people present
• Note key times, incidents & decisions made
• Make entries in chronological order
• Record statements, questions, comments and answers in direct speech
• Ensure a proper filing system for notes and exhibits
• Rule through unused space (with a ‘Z’) then sign in full, dated and times
• Sign off notes at the end of your shift to ensure integrity of the log

• Include assumptions/comments/opinions only record facts
• Miss out key words
• Erase any text or use correction fluid
• Tear out pages from the log
• Overwrite
• Write in margins
• Leave blank spaces, rule them through
• Use short hand
• Use arrows or dashes
• Use abbreviations which are not in common use
• Avoid approximations (unless quoting another)