Fire News

  Fire simulators and fire-fighter training have not been left out of the age of “Big Data.” For example, the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department has worked with analysts from the Data Science for Social Good project to streamline their inspection process. This ultimately resulted in Firebird, an open-source framework that uses algorithms to … Continued

  Since it was first identified in 1999, the Dunning-Kruger effect has transformed how we talk about people who have no idea what they’re talking about. The “Dunning-Kruger effect” is an exceedingly common—and previously unnamed—psychological blindspot: The human tendency to vastly overestimate our abilities because we know very little about a field.  (The title of … Continued

  Integrated fire simulator training—like that available through the Continuum of Training—offers huge wins when it comes to honing and coordinating your firefighting crews into seamless teams. But that’s not all—or even the most important—gain that you’ll see when you adopted an integrated fire simulator training program. Phil Duczyminski is a fire department training officer … Continued

  Mistakes happen. This is especially the case when it comes to a high-stakes, high-stress situation—one where every second counts—like responding to a fire or other critical incident. “At just about every fire or training event you look at, you’ll see mistakes take place,” notes Phil Duczyminski, a fire department training officer for the City … Continued

  Simulation training is increasingly celebrated as a tool for helping people improve their emotional control. There are plenty of examples of this in the field, ranging from VR therapy for soldiers with PTSD, to immersive simulations helping children with autism develop social and emotional awareness. There’s even growing interest in using immersive simulation-based role-playing … Continued

  It’s winter. The roads are icy, but nothing too terrible. Old holiday lights left plugged in overnight have failed, causing a house fire. You arrive at the scene, deploy the hoses, activate the pump—and no water flows. There’s air in the pump. A really small mistake—a single missed step. “But a lot of times,” … Continued

  It’s well established that there’s a nationwide shortage of both professional and volunteer firefighters. As one Connecticut fire chief recently noted, “age is also a concern. [Our] average volunteer now is about 50 years old.” Communities across the country need to increase the size of their firefighting forces, decrease the age, and train everyone … Continued

  HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Earlier this year, Fire and Emergency Services at Hill Air Force Base received three new fire trucks to enhance the department’s ability to respond to fires and other emergencies. Now, the addition of a new, high-tech pump operations simulator will serve to improve the training base firefighters receive by … Continued

  Fighting fires is obviously dangerous, but the public often overlooks how dangerous it can be. From the past year: “member suffered a seizure during training, resulting in a very serious fall” “nearly fatal electrical shock during a training exercise” “firefighter trainee killed while participating in a live-fire exercise when he and two other firefighters … Continued

  According to Phil Duczyminski, a training officer for the City of Novi (Michigan) Fire Department, there are many factors working against the most effective possible fire pump training. First and foremost, there are huge disincentives to tying up equipment doing something other than fighting a fire. Duczyminski ticks these off: “Taking a truck out … Continued