Simulator News

Realtime Technologies (RTI)—FAAC’s research training and simulation division—is looking forward to discussing the latest in simulation software and hardware applications for transportation research at the 103rd TRB Annual Meeting (January 7–11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.). For more than a century, the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting has been the transportation field’s premier marketplace for new … Continued

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated vehicles (AV) have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives and prevent millions of auto accidents each year. This isn’t just a talking point from someone selling “self-driving” cars. According to multiple analyses, various ADAS features (like adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, and lane assist) … Continued

Staff retention problems continue to grow for almost every transit agency in the United States and Canada. According to the latest report from the American Public Transportation Association, more than 90% of all agencies surveyed faced transit operator shortages. And 84% of those agencies reported that staffing shortages were preventing them from providing full service. … Continued

Transit agencies are rightly concerned about deploying electric vehicles (EVs). According to Jason Francisco, Transportation Business Manager at FAAC Incorporated: “Everyone knows that an EV bus has a lot more torque than a conventional diesel bus, on top of a very different feel to the braking and deceleration. They know that creating a smooth and … Continued

FAAC is looking forward to attending the Fire Department International Conference this year (April 27-29, 2023, Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN) and introducing new developments in high-fidelity simulation-based fire service training, especially for pump operations. FDIC International is North America’s Leading Firefighter Conference and the world’s largest fire service event. It … Continued

The post-pandemic period is making it increasingly clear that situational awareness training is more important than ever for law enforcement, especially behind the wheel. Traffic accidents have long been among the leading causes of on-duty law officer fatalities. During the pandemic, traffic deaths rose 7% nationwide—and jumped 44% for police officers. Every law enforcement agency … Continued

An increasing number of community colleges are using immersive driving simulators as part of their EMT training programs. FAAC lead specialist Chuck Deakins has worked with several community colleges to integrate simulation-based training into their programs. He’s glad to see more training programs adopting simulation tools, which can be so effective at increasing student engagement … Continued

Last year vehicular use-of-force by law enforcement was again in the news after an Arkansas state trooper hit a pregnant woman’s car to enforce a traffic stop. This flipped the vehicle: The inciting incident? The motorist was driving 84mph in a 70mph zone and took more than 2 minutes to pull over. Public outcry followed. … Continued

  Last winter Jim Vaughn (battalion chief with the Normal, IL, Fire Department and Field Staff Instructor and Regional Representative for the Illinois Fire Service Institute) discussed cold-weather fire department training for an article for Firehouse magazine. Vaughn stressed that “Although a large part of North America sees freezing temperatures, departments that are located in … Continued

  Firefighting foams are essential tools for fighting fires, making firefighter foam training essential to every fire brigade. When it comes to particularly hard to extinguish fires, like those whose source includes flammable liquids and/or petroleum (i.e., Class B fires), aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is still the recommended option where lives or critical infrastructure are … Continued