After having sole access to a state-of-the-art driving simulator for the better part of a week, the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department is already making plans to bring the equipment back in 2020.
Situated in a long, enclosed tractor-trailer, the simulator is from the College of Eastern Idaho’s Fire Service Technology program and is intended to give new recruits experience driving large emergency vehicles without any risk.
MVFD Training Captain Scott Williams said the college purchased the trailer with a federal grant explicitly to train firefighters throughout the state.
He said the program is so popular the simulator is booked through September.
Williams said it takes about 40 to 60 hours of continuous training to prepare a new driver for the road. A driver must not only be safe and conscious of the dimensions of the vehicle, he said they must also be prepared to respond to an emergency call even while in traffic.