Training to Answer the 911 Call – Part 3

Group Editor Marty Kauchak continues his review of simulation and training activities for fire fighters and first responders in adjacent high-risk sectors.

Training audiences, from decision-makers to front-line operators, are learning and rehearsing skillsets involving missions with increasingly sophisticated learning technologies. Products, such as incident command and emergency response training systems, are not the purview of any single sector. It is common for quality simulation and other training articles to be used in fire and rescue, and other first-responder organizations, in addition to training enterprises in the civil aviation sector and military. At the same time, training departments are increasingly enlisting mixed reality, cloud computing and other forward-leaning technology enablers to support their learning and education programs.

Use Across High-Risk Sectors

Products with solid returns on investment and like attributes, are finding favor in training enterprises in multiple sectors, and increasingly, around the globe.

In one case, ETC Simulation’s Advanced Disaster Management Simulator (ADMS™) is used by organizations to provide incident command and emergency response training – from small incidents to major disasters. Marco van Wijngaarden, ETC’s President, explained ADMS provides a challenging, true-to-life virtual reality environment where trainees gain the practical experience, decision-making skills, and confidence critical to the successful resolution of a real-life incident. The executive emphasized, “This results in a higher level of preparedness, a more effective response, a safer environment for responders, and a greater probability of saving lives and mitigating damage to property.”

ETC provided several important datum points on ADMS in terms of its’ customer base. Van Wijngaarden initially noted that while ADMS is the trusted training solution of many of the premier emergency services organizations worldwide, with thousands of emergency management and response personnel receiving the benefits of training on ADMS systems each year, he significantly added, “ETC has delivered more than 100 ADMS training systems to 27 countries. Many of our customers are long-term ADMS users, continuously expanding their training capabilities to provide valuable training to a wider range of personnel.”

ADMS rapidly evolved during its 28-year history. This article finds the simulator in five market-specific configurations, driven primarily by customer demand: ADMS-COMMAND – single and multi-agency response - fire, rescue, EMS, law enforcement, hazmat, local authorities, utility companies, etc.; ADMS-AIRBASE – military emergency response personnel; ADMS-POLICE – law enforcement and special operations; ADMS-AIRPORT – civilian and mutual aid response personnel; and ADMS-ARFF – vehicle driving and operations for airport aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles.

ETC’s van Wijngaarden reported instances of ROIs provided by ADMS. In one case, the simulation reduced live fire training by 90% for ARFF vehicle operators. Image credit: ETC Simulation.

In a different part of this market space, Flame Aviation manufactures next-generation fire training equipment for cabin and flight crews, for airlines and training centers around the world.

Flame Aviation’s portfolio has broadly expanded since inception in 2015. Robin Pijnaker, Managing Director Flame Aviation, B.V., explained that when Flame Aviation introduced the V7000 Brigade™ next-generation fire trainer in 2015, there were very few airlines having “the right equipment to conduct fire training with a high degree of realism.” Since then, airlines from around the world have incorporated the V7000 Brigade™ or the larger V9000 Commander™ fire trainers into their fire training programs.

Pijnaker continued, “Not only the traditional carriers see the value of these sophisticated fire trainer models but also LCC’s (Low-Cost Carriers) and leisure airlines want their crew to be well-trained for any potential fire incident. Users of Flame Aviation’s fire trainers are Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways and Ryanair, as well as All Nippon, Singapore Airways and Air Asia. Also, independent aviation training companies like CAE are using Flame Aviation’s fire trainers.”

Flame Aviation recent deliveries and planned deliveries through 2021 include fire trainers for CAE, T’Way Air, LOT, TAP and JetBlue.

Elsewhere in this sector, Alexios Limnios, Business Developer at VSTEP Simulation, told SCT this 30 April that Response Simulator (RS) is an advanced virtual training simulator developed by VSTEP Simulation for safety and security professionals. Further, it immerses users in a realistic 3D environment in which almost any scenario can be simulated. This allows training to take place whenever and wherever, bypassing the high costs and dangers associated with practical training.

The industry executive further noted and briefly explained a training process using Response Simulator involves three critical steps:

Create: Response Simulator provides instructors with “a blank canvas” to develop scenarios that suit their training goals. It can range between low frequency, high-risk scenarios, to simple yet critical scenarios and in different environments: onboard a vessel, at an airport, residential area, or an industrial complex. With an extensive content library of objects and effects, instructors can easily simulate any imaginable scenario.

Train: After creating the scenario, trainees “enter” the developed scenario and the fully recorded training can commence. Through immersive virtual training, the trainee navigates the scenario and makes decisions based on the situation they encounter. From this, they build their situational awareness and response strategies to de-escalate the incident.

Debrief: Once the training has ended, the instructor is able to replay the recorded session including all visual and verbal communication. During the session, trainees together with the instructor(s) reflect on their performance in terms of what went well and what can be improved on. If necessary, trainees can re-enter the scenario at any given point to practice alternative response strategies.

Due to the versatility of the software, the training process can be conducted in multiple setups: in a classroom setting, one-on-one, or networked setup of up to 10 trainees.

Meeting a global demand for sector products, Response Simulator is being actively used in 25 countries around the world. Limnios said VSTEP’s solution not only supports training programs of the fire services, but it also caters to other relevant organizations and academic institutions looking to improve safety procedures across multiple disciplines.

“Be it public or private, we see a growing need for simulation tools as it offers a different and more flexible solution to meet the ever-growing standards and demands. Some of our global users include: Clayton County Fire Department (US), Cheshire Fire & Rescue Services (UK), Falck UK, SDIS 67 (France) and Gezamenlijke Brandweer (the Netherlands).”

The community expert then touched on another vital S&T product or system attribute: life cycle support. Limnios pointed out, “Upon receiving our software, our users were impressed with RS’s ease of use and unlimited capabilities to simulate scenarios tailored to their training needs. After the initial purchase, our team actively provides training and support to help users familiarize themselves with the software.”

VSTEP also has a Community Platform to help its users and partners network, share ideas and scenarios with each other and provide feedback to improve the software.

Response Simulator (RS) is an advanced virtual training simulator developed by VSTEP Simulation for safety and security professionals. Further, it immerses users in a realistic 3D environment in which almost any scenario can be simulated, for instance, training in a contamination zone. Image Credit: VSTEP Simulation.

Returns on Investment

Public and private sector budgets in many nations remain under stress as governments strive to emerge from the Covid pandemic. The imperative for training organizations to gain returns on investment has never been greater.

ETC’s van Wijngaarden first noted at the over-arching level, the key advantages reported by his customers of using ADMS are high-quality simulation, very easy to operate, rapid scenario creation, permanent software licenses, an all-inclusive simulation solution, and a high level of ongoing support. The executive then said his customers report reduced training costs and higher student results from using ADMS in their training curriculum.

Some of the more detailed, key returns on investment for ADMS are: reduced live training by 90% for Fire Officers; reduced live fire training by 90% for ARFF vehicle operators; reduced live training by 30% for vehicle commanders; recertification of Fire Officers is done 100% using ADMS; results of students increased; and increased variety of training scenarios offered to students

Similarly, Flame Aviation’s Pijnaker, explained in more detail the demand signal for his offerings, pointing out, what is different in an aircraft cabin from firefighting on the ground, is the fact you cannot walk away from the fire.

“You have to extinguish the fire before it escalates. Another aspect is that you are always close to the fire due to the limited space in an aircraft cabin,” he noted and continued, “Still many cabin and flight crew are insufficiently trained for a fire incident in the cabin. The shortcomings in the training are the significant differences between the training and the circumstances they will encounter during a fire incident in the cabin.”

Several traditional, training shortcomings at the top of the Netherlands-based executive’s list included: training is often in the open air, which gives the impression that you can walk away from the fire – the sense of urgency is lacking; there is often no smoke during the training, to obstruct your sight; there are no panicking passengers obstructing access to the fire or extinguishing it; the duration, range, weight and handling of the fire extinguishers used during training is not an accurate match with the fire extinguishers available onboard an aircraft; and no procedures are being trained (attacker-buddy-communicator).

Pijnaker added, “Actually, the only thing that is being trained is the discharge of the fire extinguisher in the direction of a burning fluid.”

As Flame Aviation’s products are developed to train realistically for fires in a confined space, other intriguing instances of cross-domain use have emerged – for helicopters and submarines. “For undisclosed customers Flame Aviation has developed a fire trainer for training electrical, lithium-ion battery and other fires onboard of medevac helicopters and onboard of submarines,” Pijnaker added.

Innovation

The S&T industry is responding to a confluence of events, the “pull” of technology and the challenges of the Covid pandemic, to advance the technology baselines of their products and systems.

ETC’s van Wijngaarden reported some examples of technology enhancements his company is currently working on include full implementation of VR glasses, improved visual effects, and upgraded software platform.

Pijnaker noted, since reality in training has always been the basis for Flame in the design and development of fire trainers, his company has further enhanced all product lines to better simulate the actual procedures for especially concealed fires. Sensors are now continuously monitoring the trainees’ actions and feedback to the iPad instructor interface the result of the extinguishing action.

For airlines that did not have a training program, Flame Aviation introduced in 2018 a fire training syllabus including a theoretical knowledge section as well as practical exercises for training fire training procedures in the fire trainer.

In yet another instance of an S&T company and its customers responding to the “distancing” and related challenges of the Covid pandemic, Flame Aviation also reacted to classroom training became more complicated. To point, Flame Aviation launched the Flame Academy on www.flame-academy.com, as the focal point where cabin crew can enroll to online theoretical knowledge training (“classroom training”) and to practical exercises. All courses include tutorial videos and downloadable manuals and documentation.

Pijnaker concluded, “This makes the fire training equipment including the online courses a total package for airlines to base their fire training on. The Flame Academy also offers online instruction and maintenance training as well as guidance for the installation and commissioning of a new fire trainer!”

Back at VSTEP, the company reported the Response Simulator product is constantly being updated with new innovations and contents based on the feedback received from its users.

In one instance, Limnios also commented on the constraints of Covid-19 pandemic and observed, VSTEP is testing the Cloud training solution in RS with their long-time customer Gezamenlijke Brandweer to develop the best cloud solution for simulated safety training.

Further, VSTEP is cooperating with Corsica Simulazione (CS) to develop a Wildfire simulator to help firefighters enhance response efficiency to such incidents. “This would be an extension of Response Simulator and will include innovative features currently not seen in the market.

Besides this, we are developing new content to enrich our object and environment library; animals, road systems, industrial related objects, and new characters will all be added to our next release,” he concluded.

VSTEP has produced a White Paper about the benefits of Virtual Safety Training for Firefighters. To download it and learn how virtual simulation can help take your fire training to the next level, go to: www.vstepsimulation.com/response-simulator/.