Brevard County Fire Rescue Acquires New Simulators
By Space Coast Daily // July 3, 2013
simulators will improve driving, patient care
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR) has acquired new simulators to improve the driving skills and patient care of its personnel.
BCFR received three fire apparatus driving simulators that will be used to create a Driving Simulation Lab.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 23 percent of firefighter deaths occur during vehicle collisions.
The driving simulators were purchased with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, minimizing the department’s cost. The department will also see recurring cost savings by reducing the number of instructors, fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance; as well as improve safety.
Traditional driver training cannot expose drivers to hazardous situations as failure could result in personnel injuries and vehicle damage.
Traditional driver training cannot expose drivers to hazardous situations as failure could result in personnel injuries and vehicle damage.
The simulators provide a safe and realistic driving environment that train drivers how to recognize, anticipate and circumvent hazardous situations. The end result is improved safety and reduced risk.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ALSO RECEIVES NEW SIMULATOR
Brevard County Fire Rescue has also received a patient simulator to train employees and improve patient care.
The simulator allows paramedics to practice uncommon but critical skills without risk. Using wireless technology, instructors command the simulator to react to the paramedics’ treatments, just as a real patient would.
A “hands-on” simulator is one in which the clinical environment and the patient are represented as real physical objects. A specially instrumented patient mannequin stands in for the patient, and real clinical equipment is used to make up the work environment.
The simulator will be featured in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Training Lab.
