Proper staging is important. A good staging ensures a clear perception. A clear perception results in less debate during an exercise. Therefore, energy could be invested into a good conversation about the deployment and the accompanying considerations!
Proper staging of an incident is only the first step. The next step is to make the staging dynamic. How do we ensure that a commitment, good or bad, has a realistic influence on the course of the exercise? How do we introduce dilemmas? For that, we have to operate the staging materials. And that sounds easier than it really is.
Challenges of dynamic staging
Certainly with larger and more complex exercises, an active operation of the staging materials can entail challenges. Both organizational and practical. Usually, there are several observers, one exercise leader and various staging artists. Which of them is responsible for which ministry, at which moment and with which considerations?
Of course, turning off a smoke machine is arranged in no time. But how do you coordinate the entire scenario detail-oriented? Just imagine the steps of the scenario. The first victim has been found, so those cries for help should be turned off immediately. The moment the first water jet is deployed, you have to put the smoke machines on full power to simulate steam formation. Then you reduce the smoke, at the same time you reduce the sound of fire, you bring down the flame simulation and perhaps you create a collapse simulation. If the exploration has not been carried out properly, or if it has not yet been deployed, the whole scenario should redevelop further. So slowly more smoke, slightly turn the volume up and a little more flames. And then also keep an eye on the other incident locations. That’s hardly child’s play!
Exercises dynamic and fully interactive
It is very nice for the instructor and the observers to have a detailed overview of a complex staging. What would it be like to operate all simulation devices wirelessly, with one or more tablets? And then also observe the deployment via live stream, so that you can switch at the right moments? If the scenarios can also be pre-programmed, complete with escalating and de-escalating steps, a dynamic training environment is created that really adds something to the student.
That is why we have developed two new products at FireWare. The Incident Server and the Incident Client. With these products it is possible to set up a wireless control of a staging and to make it fully interactive and dynamic. Big advantage: (most of) your current staging materials can simply be connected to it!
All staging tools can be operated remotely. For example, less attention is paid to operating the equipment and a dynamic. Therefore, a realistic staging can be set up with maximum learning results for the student. This allows the instructor to focus on the most important work: the teaching!
