Firefighters train weekly to maintain readiness, so when the call comes to put their lives at risk for the people they serve, they are prepared.
Whether in training or on a live fire, they are susceptible to various carcinogenic toxins - until now.
To help reduce the inhalation of toxins, more and more fire departments are purchasing virtual reality equipment to provide a safer way to train their members. Offutt Air Force Base is one of them.
The 55th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department recently used innovation funds to purchase a simulator that provides real world scenarios to enhance their skills without being in an unsafe environment.
“This trainer allows firefighters to fight fires in a virtual controlled environment that detects whether agent is applied correctly to extinguish fires,” said David Eblin, 55th CES installation fire chief. “The trainer mimics the heat a firefighter feels and presents a multitude of fire scenarios, to include building and aircraft fires.”