Virtual simulation for innovative training and quality assurance of the rescue services command functions
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Högskolan i Skövde - Institutionen för informationsteknologi |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 000 000 |
| Project duration | November 2020 - October 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Innovations to mitigate the crisis |
| Call | Finding new ways in the time of a crisis |
Purpose and goal
Aim of the project is to increase the availability, quality and sustainability of rescue services training by completely renewing training and examination with virtual simulation. This project has the ambition to become an example for how future training of rescue services on the municipal level should look like. The rescue services in Skaraborg are first in Sweden to offer virtual simulation at the municipal level for training and quality assurance of rescue service personnel. In 2021, more than 100 firefighters in Skaraborg have been trained with the support of virtual simulation.
Expected results and effects
With virtual simulation, more rescue leaders can develop skills in a more flexible way, by training a greater variety of scenarios, more often, and in shorter sessions During 2021, seven instructors have learned to successfully apply virtual simulation. From 2022, virtual simulation will be integrated into education operations and every year more than 100 rescue leaders will be trained with virtual simulation. The researchers and the rescue services will in the next few years continue to renew the training by applying virtual simulation for more complex types of exercises.
Planned approach and implementation
Seven instructors participated in a training (40 hours) and have thereafter practiced themselves to use virtual simulation. The instructors have also learned to train more instructors themselves. . Managers, politicians and staff have tested training with virtual simulation, and the new innovative ways of trainingmethods are now an integral part of future training and funded by the organizations themselves. Researchers have mapped critical abilities that instructors will develop (which will be published) and identified new research opportunities.