The City of Austin has partnered with local startup Augmented Training Systems to develop two virtual reality training programs for first responders. The virtual reality trainings focus on high acuity, low frequency events that EMS personnel train for, but do not frequently respond to, such as mass casualty events and the use of the ambulance bus.
“A first responder will get trained on these skills and then not respond to a disaster for a number of years. A ‘just in time’ VR training allows us to refresh those skills quickly, without needing the physical equipment or set-up. We can do the training at the station, or at home, and can repeat the training over and over,” said Commander Keith Noble, of Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS).
“I’m a social scientist and value metrics and outcomes. So, when we started this work, it was important to understand the traditional training and then identify what could we do better for first responders,” said Dr. Scott Smith, president of Augmented Training Systems. ATCEMS Commander Noble said that when developing the training, “We targeted expensive, infrequent trainings. Mass casualty event training is expensive, you have to schedule physical assets and budget for staff overtime. Normally, that is something that can occur at most once or twice a year.”
Virtual reality training became even more relevant as the COVID-19 crisis changed our day-to-day environment. “During the COVID-19 crisis, in-person events and hands-on trainings have mostly been canceled. For first responders, it’s not an option to postpone training. We have to be ready to respond to a crisis, no matter what,” said Commander Noble. “This technology is a good fit for today’s environment where we’re doing everything virtually. It’s safe and it’s effective.”
