The Role of Virtual Simulation in Incident Commander Education – A field study

The use of Virtual Simulation (VS) for emergency management and Incident Commander (IC) training and assessment has spread during the last decade. In VS, ICs act in computer-simulated 3D incident scenarios, e.g. fire incidents, road traffic collisions etc. Even though VS provides several benefits, there is a history of hesitation to implement and apply it in emergency education. This paper presents the results of a field study performed during the VS training in four classes of IC-students (90 students). The research focus was on the IC students` attitudes and experiences of VS training. Data were collected through observations and post-training questionnaires. The results show that students are predominantly positive towards virtual simulation. 72% of the IC-students state that they experienced presence to the same extent as in live simulation settings, where they experience high presence. Earlier, photorealism was considered to be necessary to provide virtual learning places with high experiences. According to this study, this is not equally important on a general base. The results argue for the benefits of using VS in IC training, even if there are challenges with the implementation. Furthermore, it contributes to a better understanding of user experiences and realism in VS training compared to live simulation

Investigate naturalistic decision-making of a workgroup in dynamic situation. From the modelling to the design of a training virtual environment

International audienceThis thesis aims to rely on a work of activity analysis to develop a virtual training platform for firefighters (SécuRéVi). The use of this type of simulation is more and more common in the field of training, but often suffers from a lack of credibility in terms of learning content and method. To solve this problem, this project aims to model the collaborative work of firefighters during training sessions in order to provide assistance to the development of SécuRéVi. The activity analysis of these group works, relying on the EAST (Event Analysis of System Teamwork) methodology and self-confrontation interviews, is expected to highlight the particular "know-how" and to develop pedagogical scenarios essential in the design of such a training platform

Usability of Immersive Technology for Education and Training of Firefighters in Brazil

Practice-based training in realistic environments is important in preparing a firefighter. Live infrastructure simulation training with real fire and smoke, using real buildings and equipment, has been the only practice-based training format accepted and available, but sometimes with limitations. The integration of virtual re-ality and artificial intelligence can provide interaction for different fields of application and possibilities for complementary training. However, there is hesitation, often in doubt as to the real, often in fire situations. This article investigates how immersive VR supports cognitive processes and affects fidelity in firefighter training. The data were collected from 91 participating firefighters, including instructor officers and firefight-ers from Paraná and other states, participated in various scenarios, and real and virtual firefighting simula-tions. With tactile feedback, students used PPE for daily use at work and other equipment such as hoses and nozzles. In this bias, the usability of the immersive technology was compared with the real fire simulation performed in training containers. The results showed that tacit and explicit knowledge compared through VR can be shared correctly within the Fire Department facilities

Introducing Virtual Reality for Firefighter Skills Training: Opinions from Sweden and Brazil

The emergence of immersive virtual reality (IVR) technologies has raised interest in the use of fire and rescue services (FRS) as a supplement to the established practice-based hot fire-live simulation (HF-LS) training. This is due to features such as time efficiency, portable technologies, and training in scenarios not possible in HF-LS. However, whether IVR provides realistic firefighter training situations has been called into question. Previous studies have revealed differences regarding perceived presence in, and attitudes toward IVR training between novice firefighters (who can only relate to HF-LS training) and experienced firefighters (who can relate to both HF-LS and real fires). In the present study, two groups of experienced full-time employed firefighters, 53 from Brazil and 18 from Sweden tested the same IVR technology. The hypothesis was that differences in national education and training programs and real fire experiences might influence experiences in IVR technology. This study examines the differences and similarities in experienced presence, opinions on whether the graphical representations and tasks performed convey realism, and attitudes toward the IVR-supported training format. Data were collected via systematic post-training presence questionnaires and observations. The results revealed a highly experienced presence and perceived realism of the representations by the participants from both countries. However, attitudes toward using IVR technologies differed. The motivation to utilize currently available IVR training tools was higher in Brazil than in Sweden. This may be partly explained by less frequent HF-LS training opportunities in Brazil. Nevertheless, further research is needed to investigate the training transfer of IVR technologies and how these can better support skills training

Smart Firefighting Technologies in Urban China

As urbanization in China promotes rapid population growth, urban areas become increasingly densely populated. The distribution of citizens, the spatial organization of these cities, and the rate of development all present unique challenges to Chinese firefighters and disaster responders. In this report, Beijing, Wuhan, and Shanghai will be used as a case studies to represent densely populated urban areas in China. The goal of our project is to develop recommendations for our sponsor, the WPI-Tsinghua University Center for Global Public Safety, that integrate new smart technologies to make firefighting safer and more efficient in densely populated urban areas within China

Reflections on design of active learning module for training emergency management professionals in virtual reality

Experiences gained through learning design projects can be used as the basis to build systematic knowledge of digitization and active leaning in higher education. One such project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Digital Learning in Higher Educations (Norgesuniversitetet) has explored the design and trialling of a new resource for Emergency Management education that is based on theories of Active Learning and applies an innovative use of virtual reality technologies (VR). The project de-velops an active learning module (ALM) in a specialized VR simulation. The ALM has the learning objective to aid Emergency Management and Health professional students in the training of communi-cations in management during a crisis situation. The student interactions in the virtual reality simulat-ed ALM are active learning, because they are required to make real-time decisions while (1) interact-ing with the simulated environment and (2) they are communicating with colleagues within profession and across professions. This paper is based on observed and collected data from two days of trials using the ALM, with non-professional students in April 2016 and with Emergency Management and Health professional students in March 2017. The purpose of this paper is not to report on the learning outcomes for the students participating in these particular trials. Rather, based on the experiences of the trial-runs, the educational module (ALM) designers will reflect on the educational challenges within the thematic area. We will describe and discuss the elements of the active learning design such as the learning activities, the assessment forms, and the organizational implementation within the thematic educational programs. We will discuss how technology plays a role in achieving or hindering active learning objectives. Finally, we will reflect on how future designs of ALM can be further devel-oped to better meet the learning needs of the primary target learning group. Keywords: active learning, virtual reality, emergency management trainingpublishedVersio

Explaining Attitudes Toward and Experiences with Social Media among Public Information Officers through Adaptive Structuration Theory

This study set out to explore similarities and differences between firefighting organizations using and not using social media for crisis/emergency situations. Using Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), our exploratory survey results from 129 first responders suggest social media innovations are outpacing PIOs’ abilities to effectively adopt and utilize social media strategies. Of those who do not use social media, they have considered using it for information-dissemination purposes only; the main differences between those who do and don’t use social media is their perception of the obstacles to implementing it (training, time, resources) and whether they use it in their personal lives