Vector Solutions and the NFPA Team Up to Make Critical Electric Vehicle Simulated Fire Training Available to All Firefighters at No Cost

Access New NFPA^® Simulated Training App and Track Training Time with the TargetSolutions Platform

Vector Solutions has served various state, county, and municipal governmental entities for 23 years since its founding in 1999, focusing on the Fire and EMS market. The National Fire Protection Association^® (NFPA^®) and Vector (then called TargetSafety and later renamed TargetSolutions) have been aligned in their mission to keep firefighters safe by delivering training that meets NFPA standards through the TargetSolutions Training Management System.

While the traditional online learning format for NFPA training, including more than 60 hours of courses in Vector’s library, continues to be effective, there are new, and exciting formats now available. The NFPA is harnessing the power of current technology to cater to the needs of today’s digital native learners with game-like simulated training.

The NFPA FIRST Training Application is not just a learning tool, but a complete virtual experience to address renewable technology emerging hazards. It is designed to immerse firefighters in a realistic simulation, allowing them to train in responding to and extinguishing fires with Distributed Energy Resources (DER) present. This application is a notable change in the world of firefighter training.

The first scenario in the application is about fighting an electric vehicle fire inside a single-family home’s garage. This multi-user, DER scenario-based learning application is based on real-world test data and enables firefighters to train together in interactive, real-world incidents (think flight simulator-style training for a team of firefighters) with engaging, realistic, live-action scenarios with learning points throughout the simulation. Learners can play in multi-player or in single-player AI mode and experience realistic scenarios that better prepare them to respond to live incidents.

Click here to view a short demo of this dynamic NFPA training.

How to Access the NFPA’s New Training

The NFPA FIRST Training Application consists of a zipped .exe file, hosted within a Vector Solutions landing page, which will allow the users to download the application to run locally on a laptop or desktop PCs (does not work on Apple/Mac computers). The zipped file will be packaged with an Installation Guide, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), the First Application User Guide, the End User License Agreement (EULA), and HelpScreen images to help users maneuver through the simulation more effectively.

If you have questions about implementing this training or any other issues, please contact GHD Digital, which helped the NFPA create this simulated training, at [email protected].

Please click here to access the zipped .exe file.

How to Track the NFPA Training with the TargetSolutions Platform

Vector Solutions is supporting this learning opportunity with a pre-built TargetSolutions NFPA FIRST Training Application Activity. TargetSolutions is a versatile training management system that can deliver, track, and report on any type of training, including classroom group training, practical in-person skill training, and all types of online learning, including simulated training.

The TargetSolutions NFPA FIRST Training Activity is available for fire departments to track their fire personnel’s time on the app — either by department leaders on their personnel’s behalf (in group-training situations) or directly by their firefighter personnel (in single-player situations) — so that they receive the credit deserved as they learn in this engaging, interactive training simulation.

To find this activity inside the TargetSolutions platform, go to the Activities Builder, click “Import Example Activities” in the upper right and scroll down to the “Fire Industry: Training” section. Click “NFPA FIRST Electric Vehicle Training” to open the Activity and then click the green “Import Example” button to import the activity to your own TargetSolutions site.

Vector Solutions is once again proud to team up with the NFPA to provide relevant and engaging training for today’s fire service personnel.