Without a doubt, effective training saves lives. At Ruth Lee, we understand that the more realistic the training, the better the outcome. After all, if you’ve had the opportunity to experience different, complex scenarios, you are more likely to respond positively during a genuine crisis.
Incident Command training as a firefighter is no different. Traditionally, trainees might have been handed a collection of technical books and other resources but although it is important to understand the theory, will this kind of learning every really prepare someone to react appropriately in a highly complex and stressful situation?
The obvious solution is live training, and this is a ‘must-have’ for many technical rescue techniques – to make sure that muscle memory is acquired and that trainees are physically and mentally prepared for hazardous situations. But live Incident Command training can be costly to set up due to the scale and complexity required.
Therefore, an excellent solution for Incident Command Training is VR (Virtual Reality). It is a method of training that can provide effective learning in a safe and cost-effective environment, with multiple scenarios which can be adapted for your own situation and working environments.
Benefits for Virtual Training
• Familiarise teams with strategies and tactics.
• Improve their responsiveness while performing essential tasks.
• Ensure proficiency in the correct use of available equipment and resources.
• Develop communication during emergencies, thereby fostering better teamwork.
Ruth Lee Ltd is now proud to be able to offer VR to customers, using VSTEP’s fantastic product, Response Simulator.
Why Response Simulator?
Response Simulator by VSTEP is a powerful virtual learning platform designed to give users a realistic experience of incident and operational command.
At Ruth Lee, we believe in quality and realistic training – you can be sure we wouldn’t put our name to a product we didn’t truly believe added significant value to your training. We were impressed by the capabilities of Response Simulator and its application in firefighter training and were proud to forge an alliance with VSTEP to bring Response Simulator to the UK market.
We also think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the cost of using this product, which is highly competitive compared to other software available on the market. This is of course especially important in the current economic climate. VSTEP also provide outstanding support and you will also benefit from a fantastic user community for even more inspiration for your scenario planning.
How does it work?
Built within a 3D world, Response Simulator lets you build realistic training scenarios where you can control everything – even the weather!
The Response Simulator environment includes almost everything you could think of, a range of vehicles, urban and rural landscapes, docklands and industrial settings, crowds of people, floodwaters, wildfire and numerous situational objects to build a realistic working environment.
The trainee assesses the situation and commands response strategies, and then the Instructor modifies the scenario in response to trainee commands.
A structured approach to training
CREATE: Using Response Simulator, you can define your training goals and create scenarios using a powerful and intuitive toolset. We were seriously impressed by the level of detail provided by Response Simulator and know you will be too… with an extensive content library, you can create almost every imaginable scenario!
TRAIN: Once your scenario is created you can connect the trainee or trainees and begin training in the virtual environment. Your learner will navigate the scenario, making decisions based on the situation they encounter, and which can be adapted live by the instructor. It is a completely immersive solution which is flexible and adaptable.
DEBRIEF: After training is completed, you can replay the entire session, including any verbal communications. This lets you work with the trainee to evaluate their response strategies and reflect on possible alternatives.
Training for all outcomes
Training with VSTEP Response Simulator is a great way for firefighters to train, achieving the following outcomes:
• Building situational awareness
• Emergency decision making (EDM)
• Teaching effective use of resources
• Building a common operational picture
• Command and control coordination
• Practicing/establishing leadership and control
• Practicing alternative response strategies
• Enrich physical training and further advance responder preparedness in risky situations
Ask for a Demonstration
Ruth Lee Ltd can offer free, no-obligation demonstrations of the VSTEP Response Simulator. During Covid19, we can do this remotely at a time convenient to you and your team. Find out more by calling 01490 413 282 or by completing the demo request form on this page.