3 Reasons to Prepare for an Incident Before One Happens

We don’t give much thought to investigations until something goes wrong. Unfortunately, that can be too late to start preparing well. If you don’t think it’s important to prepare for an incident before it happens, here are three reasons that may change your mind.

1. Evidence Doesn’t Wait

Evidence begins disappearing almost immediately. Equipment is repaired, clean-up happens, and work restarts. People who saw the incident start comparing notes, which may influence their memories. Security footage is overwritten. Every hour that passes can make it harder to determine what really happened.

When you prepare for an incident, you’ve taken the time to learn and train your team about what types of evidence are fragile. That knowledge, and prioritizing the collection of fragile evidence first, ensures you don’t wait too long and miss your chance.

2. People Make Better Decisions When They Have a Plan

Incidents are stressful, and when people are stressed, they can rush or freeze or rely on old habits. That’s why you should establish investigation procedures before they are ever needed. Questions like these shouldn’t be answered during an emergency:

• Who secures the scene?
• Who collects the photographs?
• Who notifies leadership?
• Where is the investigation kit?
• Who coordinates witness interviews?

You don’t want people on the team assuming “someone else will do it.” These decisions should already be made with everyone knowing who is accountable for which task.

2. Better Preparation = Improvement

Investigations are successful when we learn something valuable. If you prepare for an investigation in advance, you are far more likely to identify system weaknesses based on facts instead of stopping at human error. Improvements keep the next incident from happening.

And everyone hopes the next serious incident never happens, but hope isn’t a strategy. The time to plan an investigation process is before you need one – not after.

Coming Soon

This article is adapted from the upcoming second edition of Evidence Collection and Interviewing Techniques to Sharpen Investigation Skills by Barb Carr and Mark Paradies. The revised edition, scheduled for release in early 2027, expands on writing a better investigation policy to prepare for an incident and includes a sample policy.

Want to know more? Consider joining us for the Effective Interviewing and Evidence Collection course at the 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit. You’ll receive a copy of the new book and a chance to make practical application during group work.