In a move officials say enhances training and saves money, the Raleigh Fire Department is investing in virtual reality and other emerging technologies.
On Wednesday, they gave ABC11 a demonstration of those tools in action at the Keeter Training Center in Raleigh.
"It gets our recruits into an immersive environment, which most of them grew up playing video games. I grew up playing video games. So when you make education fun, you typically retain it better," said Jeffrey Stallings, the EMS Coordinator with the Raleigh Fire Department.
The training materials are a far cry from what Stallings learned on, beginning as a volunteer firefighter when he was just 13.
"It feels like you're in there. They say two to three minutes in a virtual reality and you forget that you're in there. And that's what we're going for," said Stallings.