Remote Virtual Simulation for Incident Commanders: Opportunities and Possibilities

Fire and rescue service Incident Commanders (ICs) need to be prepared to be the first officer at the incident scene, in charge of the assessments and decisions taken. Their education incorporates practice-based training in the role of the IC in different scenarios, using live simulation (LS) on a physical training ground, but also virtual simulation (VS) in dedicated simulation facilities. LS is considered as the most valuable simulation method, and even though added values of VS have been shown and the possibility of remote virtrual simulation (RVS) has been discussed, there have been hesitations towards VS and RVS implementation. In March 2020, all IC training onsite was stopped by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), due to the Covid-19 restictions on no gathering of people. At the same time the need for IC final exams forced the decision to conduct these using RVS for one IC class. This was the first RVS IC examination in its kind, to our recent knowledge. This paper aims to examine enablers for the implementation of RVS in IC's education. The study behind it was conducted in two steps, a pilot study during the development of the RVS scenarios and a field study conducted during the IC examination using RVS. The results describe the opportunities opening up for RVS, and necessary prerequisites at the responsible organizations. The possibilities for the implementation are shown by discussing acceptance of the RVS as a substitute for LS in the current IC educational curriculum.