At a formal ceremony on Friday 4th June, the Duke of Westminster officially opened the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service’s new state-of–the–art training facility at its headquarters in Winsford, UK. The training facility incorporates VSTEP’s multi-user 3D simulation platform RescueSim.

With this development,  the Fire Authority aims to give its fire crews the most realistic training environment possible and incorporates a range of innovative features including:
•    Fully customisable virtual reality software capable of recreating any type of fire or major incident
•    Multi display screens to create a 360 degree view of a major emergency
•    Advanced CCTV and sound system to allow feedback and add realism.

“We are confident this is the best training facility of its kind in the country and Europe and it represents a major investment in the safety of our staff and the communities they serve.” said Fire Authority Chair Cllr. David Topping.  

“The extension at our Headquarters has been completed in under a year and has only been achieved due to hard work by our own staff, our main contractors Reed Construction and through an exciting new partnership with Rotterdam based software developer, VSTEP.”

VSTEP implemented RescueSim, its multidisciplinary simulation training software for emergency response services. RescueSim prepares public safety and security professionals for real-life incidents in a virtual environment by allowing them to experience the incident as they would in real-life. They assess the situation and determine the best response strategy, implement it and then observe the consequences of their decisions.

Hans ten Bergen, Business Development manager at VSTEP said: “We are extremely proud to have been selected as the technology partner for the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service. This is without doubt the most innovative virtual reality training facility that we have seen in Europe, combining the most advanced simulation technology with state-of-the-art training facilities.”

The Duke of Westminster, who was given a tour of the new facilities before unveiling a plaque outside the new suite, said: “I am delighted that Cheshire is leading the way when it comes to the training and development of its Firefighters. The facilities will undoubtedly lead to Cheshire being a safer place to live, work and enjoy due to the highly trained staff front line staff.”

Cheshire’s Chief Fire Officer Paul Hancock said while there would always be a need for practical training in using equipment to fight fires and rescue people from vehicles, the use of virtual reality facilities was also a vital element in the future.

“Cheshire is now far safer than it used to be with major reductions in the number of fires and incidents we attend. That means far less practical opportunities for staff to develop their skills, so our new suite is essential in providing a completely safe environment for people to become competent in managing a whole range of emergency incidents,” he said.

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About VSTEP
VSTEP is the leading European developer of simulators and virtual training software. Using interactive 3D technology, VSTEP creates training applications that allow people to build their skills in a practical and cost effective way. Since its founding in 2002, VSTEP has successfully completed numerous training applications for leading industry clients and governmental organisations worldwide.

As one of the industry leaders, VSTEP continues to innovate the virtual training world with professional, accurate and groundbreaking new simulation technology. As winner of multiple innovation prizes and awards, VSTEP sets the standard for serious gaming and simulation and advocates more effective training through enhanced virtual reality. More info: www.vstep.nl