Application of immersive learning on firefighter skills, health, and safety during training
Project goal
The overall goal of this project is to identify, assess, and summarize the available and emerging technological tools, techniques, and innovations, to support the application of immersive learning environments in fire service training and address its impact on firefighter skills, health, and safety during training. The project is funded by a DHS/FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program (Award No.: EMW-2020-FP-00866). Read the full project summary.
Reports
Firefighter Immersive Learning Environment (FILE): Literature Review
This literature review report summarize the current landscape of immersive learning in fire service training and education; Definitions of major terms, including where disagreements exist; SWOT analysis of Virtual Reality (VR) in firefighter training, including barriers to adoption; Future needs analysis, indicating the process of identifying and integrating needs and solutions; Gap analysis, suggesting what is most needed to fully address identified needs. Download the report.
Firefighter Immersive Learning Environment (FILE): Focus Group Summary
This Focus Group summary is addressing the second deliverable of the three primary components of this project, i.e., Targeted focus group meetings with key types of North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD) representative fire academies (e.g., large, small, community college based, etc.) to gain insight about the distinct training delivery systems of fire training academies. A key deliverable from this effort has been the development of a SWOT Analysis that indicates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involving immersive learning for fire service training. Download the report.
Additional references