How Simulator Is Used for Training In Fireground Strategy and Tactics

How Simulator Is Used for Training In Fireground Strategy and Tactics

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LT. JOHN R. PUGH

Dept, of Fire and Rescue Services Montgomery County, Md.

The training of officers, part icularly at the command level, in strategy and tactics under realistic fireground conditions has been a significant problem for the fire service.

In an effort to develop a mechanism that could duplicate fireground stresses, the training section of the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services designed a single-screen-projection simulator in 1974 that had battery-operated walkie-talkies for a communications system. The limitations of this simulator resulted in a decision to design one that could increase the capability of the old unit.

Simulator objective

It was determined that the new simulator would have to meet the following objectives:

1. The ability to train personnel in the most realistic manner possible.
2. The ability to project a situation from more than one point of view.
3. The ability to communicate in a manner similar to the existing fireground communications system.
4. The ability to train fireground officers in command concepts and dispatchers in communications skills.
5. The ability to set up problems that exist in Montgomery County.
6. The ability to use the simulator as an assessment tool for promotional examinations.

With these objectives in mind, the training officer visited several other training centers, including Huntington Beach and Los Angeles County, Calif., and the Delaware State Fire Training School.

The new simulation system is designed so that students can view a problem from two different classrooms. This provides a capability to view a problem from two angles. The glass rear-projection screens are designed for two purposes: projection of an incident picture and use as a blackboard on the classroom side.

The screens are Polacoat LS-60-3/8 G180 rear projection screens, approximately 6X12 feet. They can be used as blackboards by using dry marker pens.

Projection hardware

The projection hardware was designed so that the most realistic image of the incident could be produced for the students. Generally, two sets of equipment are provided, one for each viewpoint of the incident, and used as follows:

1. Slide projector to project picture of incident on the screen with wide-angle lens.
2. Two overhead projectors to cast fire and smoke images on the incident. The two projectors have variable speed motors and wheels to simulate fire and smoke movement . Sand is used in a box placed on the overhead table. The sand is brushed away to allow light in the form of fire (orange) or smoke (grey) to be cast on the screen in the desired location.
3. A third overhead is used to project an area map of the incident on the screen. The student, from the classroom side of the screen, can locate his apparatus on the map.
4. 4A fourth overhead is used in the classroom to project a floor plan of the incident on a side screen.

Communications needs

The following requirements were established to ensure a quality communications system to adequately support the simulator training:

1. Capability to simulate communications between EOC and 20 student units.
2. Ability to communicate individually with any one of the 20 units.
3. Ability to play recorded background sounds, such as engines running, people screaming, loud conversations, or any outside noises that may occur on the fireground.
4. Ability to record all communications.
5. Ability for instructors to talk to each other without interfering with fireground channel.

The county Department of Facilities and Services designed the entire communications system and also installed the system to our specifications on a charge-back cost basis. By using county employees, $3000 to $4000 were saved.

Communications capabilities

The communications system consists of:

1. Master control panel capable of communicating and receiving:

a. Channel 2, fireground activities.

b. Channel 1, master control availability to give instructions to individual student stations without

interruption to other students. It has the capability of communicating with a number of students at one time.

c.Channel 3, communications channel which allows all instructor stations to talk to one another without interrupting the fireground channel.

2. Twenty student communications stations capable of:

a. Receiving and transmitting on channel 2.

b. Receiving instructional messages from master controller but without transmission capability of communicating with a number of students at one time.

c. No linkage with channel 3.

d. Student set consists of a receiving headset (used to eliminate talk between students except through proper radio channels) and a microphone to transmit any messages.

3. Dispatchers control station is capable of:

a. Dispatching alarms on channel

2.

b. Using channel 3 to receive and transmit messages to the master control and instructor stations.

Visual aids

The visual aids for the structure being used as part of the incident include the following.

1. Two 35mm slides (front and rear) of the problem being simulated. This could be any building or any other type hazard t hat may develop in the field, i.e., gas spill, hazardous materials incident or railroad, highway vehicle, plane, or brush fire. The slides of buildings are taken so that one shows the front and one side, and the other shows the rear and the other side. This gives a foursided view of the incident.

2. Two overlays are drawn (one for each classroom) of the area which includes:

a.Building layout to scale

b. External fire protection equipment locations sprinklers, standpipe connections

c. Street locations and addresses

d. Exposure locations

e. Hydrant locations

3. Two overlays of the specific incident floor plan. This includes:

a. Internal floor layout

b. Stairways, doors, windows, elevators

c. All utilities shutoffs

d. Any internal special hazards (chemicals, fuels, etc.)

4. A narrative pre-fire plan of the building. This is used only by the officer in charge.

5. Student evaluation sheets for officership I.

6. A student communications evaluation sheet.

7. Standard operating procedure for simulator exercise only.

This software has been designed specifically to use on problems existing in Montgomery County. If a station has a target hazard in its area and would like to set up a simulated fire in this hazard.

then they send to the academy staff the needed software for the simulation drill.

Simulator cost

The cost breakdown for the simulator is as follows:

Software (man hours only) 80 hrs Two rear-projection glass screens, installed $7,000 Projection hardware 2,200 Communications equipment 9,200 Installation 2,700 Miscellaneous expenses (photo processing, overlays, printing handouts, etc.) 300 Total cost $21,400 Simulator

Conducting an exercise

The operation of an exercise starts with assigning students to the duties of a specific piece of apparatus (engine, truck, squad, ambulance, chief officer, etc.). They wait outside the classrooms in a waiting area equipped with a speaker so they can hear the incident dispatched. Once the alarm has been dispatched, the students are staged into the room the same as apparatus would arrive on the scene of an incident.

The first-due unit will give an initial fireground status report and direct other incoming units as needed. Students whose positions are in the rear of the incident are sent to the other classroom. The students must place their apparatus

positions on the area maps on the screens. They must also show any hose advancements and water supply lines. Once they have completed this, they are sent to a student station with a communications headset and microphone.

The students are then given task assignments by the commanding officer or they follow a standard operating procedure to complete their tasks. While the student is involved in the evolution, he must also fill in his student evaluation sheets. If the students perform the accepted tactical evolutions, then the fire spread will be cut off and the fire will

be extinguished. But if the students make tactical errors, the fire will spread until the correct actions are taken to solve the problem.

After the simulator exercise is over, the students then have a verbal critique of the fireground situations. These critiques are used to correct any errors that might have occurred during the incident.

Using our new tactical simulator, students now have an opportunity to apply fireground knowledge to a situation that duplicates reality as closely as possible.