Fire Command Simulator

[Denisha Padley]

Ouronline program marries the critical concepts of incident management, strategy and tactics, and firefighter safety with dynamic structure-fire simulations that require students to apply their knowledge. Targeted coaching via short video clips from subjectmatter experts reinforces the material, and lively self-assessments ensure students grasp essential concepts.

Online training is flexible, allowing students to access the program anytime and move at their own pace, which helps keep units in service. Most importantly, we track user progress within the system. Before taking the final online certification test, students must view all required videos and content.

After completing Blue Card's online/cognitive training, students complete their certification by attending a three-day evaluation lab. This simulation lab is a critical step, immersing aspiring ICs in realistic incident command scenarios to rigorously test their readiness across a spectrum of fire scenarios. Blue Card's simulation-based certification training merges the Hazard-Zone Incident Command Standard with the department's local resources, SOPs and tactical hazards. Our robust simulations offer valuable hands-on training and experience for high-risk, low-frequency events.

Each student must pass evaluations as both a mobile IC (IC No. 1) and a strategically positioned IC (IC No. 2) for each occupancy type for a total of 10 evolutions. Upon completing these evaluations, participants are awarded the esteemed title of Blue Card Certified Incident Commander, marking their proficiency in managing a diverse range of fire incidents effectively.

This rigorous process ensures that Blue Card Incident Commanders continue to exhibit the highest standards of competency and leadership in managing hazard-zone incidents, ensuring safe, efficient incident response.

Blue Card empowers individual departments and regions to self-manage the certification and evaluation process and customize the system based on local topography, resource levels and SOPs. We offer a robust instructor program, which enables departments to process Blue Card students through the three-day simulation certification lab in any existing command training center with a modest inventory of supplies.

After meeting all prerequisites, potential instructors can attend the Blue Card Train-the-Trainer (TtT) program. These intensive, five-day workshops offer a deep dive into the system, carefully reviewing each simulation and highlighting critical teaching points. Participants receive detailed lesson plans and thorough instruction on the five basic occupancy types, tactical-level operations, command-team operations and mayday response. This comprehensive training ensures instructors are fully equipped to customize and deliver the program to meet their department's specific needs, fostering a higher level of preparedness and response capability across various emergency scenarios.

These structured training and certification pathways underscore Blue Card's commitment to developing highly skilled incident commanders. By integrating theory and practice and emphasizing continuing education, the program ensures its certified ICs are well-prepared to effectively lead and manage emergency incidents, thereby enhancing overall safety.

Yearly access renewal to all CE modules and the NEW Hazardous Materials Ops Incident Command Certification Program. CEs reinforce Fire Command's 8 Functions of Command, building upon previous lessons through various exercises.

Documentation access to all student training, certification and recertification records using the Blue Card Records Management System. The student will have no online access to any Blue Card training material.

Train-the-Trainer sessions comprise five consecutive eight-hour days. TtT participants receive much more detailed lesson plans and instruction on the five basic occupancy/building types, embedded tactical-level safety procedures, command team operations and mayday response.

After the one-year subscription expires, Blue Card-certified instructors can continue subscribing to the Blue Card Instructor Support Program. The instructor will continue receiving the year's previous services outlined above.

Fire Studio is a state-of-the-art fire simulator software package, designed to produce ultra-realistic simulations including fire incidents, hazardous material situations, and a wide range of other emergency scenarios. With incredible realism, it delivers a truly immersive training experience, improving the decision-making skills that are vital for emergency responders.

Fire Studio is designed by firefighters, for firefighters. The program is mouse-driven, with much of the simulation building accomplished with drag-and-drop simplicity. There is no programming to learn.

This is our flagship fire simulator edition. It includes everything you need to create and playback your simulations on a single computer. You can install this edition on a desktop or laptop computer. We except Purchase Orders, Credit Cards and invoice Net 30.

This is our player-only fire simulator edition. It will playback any simulation that was made on the Instructor Edition of Fire Studio 7. You can install this edition on a desktop or laptop computer. We also have an iPad Edition of the Player Edition. We except Purchase Orders, Credit Cards and invoice Net 30.

This is our optional network control module. CommLink allows you to connect multiple copies of Fire Studio 7 (Instructor or Player Editions) over a Local Area Network. This is used to control multi-screen simulations from a single computer. We except Purchase Orders, Credit Cards and invoice Net 30. For more information on CommLink, CLICK HERE.

Typically, the Player Edition complements the Instructor by providing additional, lower-cost licenses to use on separate computers allowing multiple views or positions of the incident. This multi-license setup is typical of a fire simulator CTC, but many departments also provide Player Editions to several of their stations to allow them to train with the Simulations on their own.

Fire Studio 7 demands robust hardware for optimal performance, especially in graphics processing. Investing in the most powerful setup within your budget is advisable. Key considerations revolve around the graphics card, system RAM, and the processor.

Graphics Card: Aim for a graphics card equipped with 4-8 GB of RAM for seamless Fire Studio operation. Leading brands like Nvidia and AMD offer suitable options. These cards handle Fire Studio well, ensuring smooth performance without straining the system.

Processor: A powerful processor is essential for pushing Fire Studio to its limits, enabling smoother rendering of complex smoke and fire elements on the screen without compromising performance.

Integrated Graphics Chips: While some systems incorporate integrated graphics chips like Intel HD or UHD series, they do not offer the desired performance when challenged with heavier simulations. Instances of slowdowns or crashes may occur, particularly as you augment simulations with more fire and smoke layers.

Newer Chips (Xe and Xe Ultra): Recent advancements in chips, such as the Xe and Xe Ultra, have exhibited promising results with Fire Studio 6.5 and 7. However, their reliability varies among users and systems, hence not universally recommended.

Digital Combustion has been setting the standard in fire simulator software 1998. In that time, we have developed the most realistic all-hazard simulator found anywhere. Take a look and see why organizations world-wide choose Fire Studio to dramatically improve incident safety and communications.

Click on any section below to explore the free fire simulation packages that are available for use. You can also customize these simulations to your liking. Download these free fire simulation sets for use with your SimsUshare subscription, either directly into your SimsUshare app, or via Sim Cloud into your CTC account.

A set of basic simulations designed to help you get started, including a couple of typical single-family residentials, an urban mid-rise apartment house, a small propane delivery company, and a size-up sim with 5 commercial structures.

Set of five (5) simulations created from pictures in Bridgeport, CT for single-family and high-rise residences. All simulations are structured to have four (4) conditions/states per location: arrival, [B] better/improving, [W] getting worse, and [D] defensive.

Set of four (4) simulations created from pictures in Concord, NH for single-family, multi-family, and apartment residences. All simulations are structured to have four (4) conditions/states per location: arrival, [B] better/improving, [W] getting worse, and [D] defensive.

A set of advanced simulations useful for training teams and assessing command personnel. Includes a single-family resident, a garage fire, and a motel fire. Each sim has several positions with different assignments/paths, similar in form to popular incident command certification curricula.

Each mission in Firefighting Simulator is a canned scenario, with little in the way of dynamism, which honestly I was hoping for more of. There are scripted events within the mission, however, which do add a bit of spectacle. Gas tanks will explode in a garage and living room ceilings will collapse around the fireplace, for example.

Issuing commands to the team is also wildly inconsistent, and at times downright frustrating. At times, I sent a teammate directly into a raging fire, when what I really wanted them to do was spray water on the fire instead. In other words, controlling the AI is wonky and unreliable. For these reasons, teaming up with other humans is definitely the preferred option, in an effort to up the IQ of your squad. I was able to get in one multiplayer session (of only two in the entire world, apparently) by manually selecting it from a global list. Playing with another person was infinitely more enjoyable, as it was nice having the far more capable help for a change, but the player pool seems low.

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