NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 28

been exposed to cruder versions of
VR training over the years. Willette
recalled a firefighting tactics class he
took in the 1970s where his instructor
fashioned virtual scenarios using
salt combined with other chemical
compounds to create simulated fire
behavior on a projector screen. " Virtual
reality has actually been here for many
years-it's just progressed a lot, " Willette
said. He also cited virtual firetruck
driving training and VR for incident
command training being common in
North America and elsewhere in the
early 2000s. Despite that track record,
Willette cautions that proponents of
immersive learning must avoid trying
to sell the technology as a replacement
for live fire training. " If we start to say
that virtual reality, augmented reality,
or immersive learning is going to eliminate
the need for live fire training,
then it's going to fail, " he said. " The
fire service, rightfully so, is dubious of
anything that's not going to give them
the best advantage to being the most
successful in environments with smoke
and flame and heat. "
But proponents of the technology,
including manufacturers like FLAIM,
are quick to say that immersive
learning is meant to enhance live fire
training, not replace it. " Live fire training
is always going to have a place in
the fire service, " said Godfredson. " But
we have to accept the reality that it can
be dangerous, not everyone gets to do
it, and if you do, it's often the same gas
prop in the same environment you've
used for 10 years. So we see immersive
learning as a way to complement live
training and get the most out of firefighter
training. "
Similarly, in a statement emailed
to NFPA Journal in December, the US
Fire Administration praised immersive
learning as " highly effective at driving
home tactical procedures while also
providing firefighters with confidence
and skill that translates into actual
reality. " But, the administration added,
" it must be emphasized that VR/AR
are considered a supplement or a
way to bolster [live fire] training, not
replace it. "
An obstacle that may be more
difficult to overcome is the cost of
28 | NFPA JOURNAL * SPRING 2022
immersive learning technology-one
FLAIM Trainer costs about $50,000,
which for a small fire department can
be a big bill to foot. Fire departments
are eligible to use FEMA's Assistance to
Firefighters Grants to help fund their
investment in VR and AR systems, but
it can be hard to justify purchasing
cutting-edge technology when other,
arguably more pressing needs remain
unmet. In December, NFPA released the
results of its fifth " Needs Assessment
Survey of the US Fire Service " ; as previous
needs assessment surveys had
found, the most recent study indicated
that over half of all US fire departments
have some personal protective clothing
and SCBA that are more than 10 years
old. About half of all departments have
fire engines that are at least 15 years
old. These figures are higher for smaller
departments.
Ironically, it's these departments
that experts say would most benefit
from immersive learning. " A rural state
where frequent in-person training is
a barrier due to travel distance could
use a VR system to allow students to
remotely learn the mechanics and
motions of rolling and loading a hose,
raising a ladder, or searching a room, "
said Brauer, who sits on the Professional
Qualifications Committee for
NFPA, which is responsible for NFPA
1001, Firefighter Professional Qualifications,
and other documents. " This
wouldn't replace the need to actually
perform those tasks in a live fire situation
prior to certification, but it would
give the students a level of familiarity
with the mechanics in a remote setting.
It would add an opportunity to obtain
another layer of psychomotor practice
to prepare the student for in-person
instruction. "
Willette sees the involvement of
corporations like Tesla as one possible
solution to the funding challenge. The
popular American EV manufacturer has
a vested interest in training firefighters
on how to deal with blazes involving
the powerful lithium-ion battery packs
lining the undercarriages of its vehicles,
Willette posited, which could provide
incentive for the company to invest in
immersive learning technology that
would help train the fire service on
responding to EV fires. FLAIM already
has an immersive learning scenario
available to users in which a Tesla has
rear-ended another vehicle and both
are burning on a highway. " I see it as a
partnership between these companies
and the trade and safety communities, "
Willette said.
Live training can bear a large cost,
too. In Gilbert, Arizona, a fire and
police training facility that opened in
early 2021 cost $85 million to build. But
funding channels are more established
for such facilities and training activities,
and one location typically serves
multiple departments across a state or
region. At the same time, since immersive
learning equipment is portable, if
a state fire training agency wanted to
invest in it, it could then transport it
from department to department to conduct
training-a cut in transportation
costs for departments themselves.
Even when departments secure the
funds to invest in immersive learning
equipment, there may be other issues
preventing them from putting it to
use. For Madison [Alabama] Fire &
Rescue, that issue is staffing. " We have
all the VR equipment, " said Michael
Sedlacek, a captain at the department.
" We're just very understaffed in our
training division. I believe we'll need
to put somebody in a role to oversee
this training before we can get
it started. " Despite those challenges,
Sedlacek's department has managed
a successful fire education program
using VR for several years. (For more
on that program, see " Beyond Training "
on previous spread.)
Despite the staffing issue, Sedlacek
remains optimistic for the future of
immersive learning for firefighter
training not just in Madison, but at
practically any department in the
country. " If I can put you in a high-risk,
low-frequency event as many times as I
want, why would I pass up that opportunity? "
he said. " What training chief
doesn't want to get the best bang for
their buck? With all of the applications
and scenarios offered through virtual
reality, the sky really is the limit for
training. "
ANGELO VERZONI is associate editor at NFPA Journal.

NFPA Journal - Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Spring 2022

Contents
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 1
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 2
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 3
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - Contents
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 5
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 6
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 7
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 8
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 9
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 10
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 11
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 12
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 13
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 14
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 15
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 16
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 18
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 19
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 20
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 21
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 28
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NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - Cover4
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