Jan van der Heyden: many regard him as the founder of modern fire fighting. In 1672, the Dutch inventor invented the fire hose. With this invention, he stood at the cradle of modern fire extinguishing tactics. Now, more than three centuries later, Jan van der Heyden is more alive than ever! At training centre RBOC Fort Markenbinnen, “Fireman Jan” tests the (company) emergency response knowledge of course participants. Well … a full-scale replica of Jan, actually.
Fireman Jan takes participants on a journey through the unique history of the fire service. During this journey he asks a whole series of A/B questions. These relate to the themes of Fire and Evacuation. Participants answer by stepping on themed floor tiles. Fireman Jan repeats the question, counts down and then gives feedback on the correct answer. The participants’ knowledge of ER is tested in a fun and challenging way. The students do not sit lazily on a chair or behind a table. On the contrary, they actively move around! This is good for the learning result.
Gamification
RBOC Fort Markenbinnen’s new training tool makes use of gamification techniques. The game element keeps participants fully involved in the lesson. Moreover, gamification makes the course both more fun and more challenging. The learning result of the course participant increases significantly!
Since the game is fully automated, there is no need for an instructor to be present during the course. This role is completely filled by Firefighter Jan. The game is designed to train three course participants at the same time. However, the set can also be spread out over a larger area. That way, many more students can participate at the same time.
Experience
In the design process of Fireman Jan, the focus was on complete involvement of the course participants. From the image to the light and sound: everything about the experience is right. Fireman Jan is a three-dimensional manikin combined with projection using advanced techniques. The backgrounds also change as the storyline unfolds. All this in a “real” setting. Every detail has been thought through. The training tool is designed to give the student a spectacular, but above all, instructive experience. The lesson material is better retained. This way, better emergency response officers are trained.
Object saturation
The RBOC Fort Markenbinnen training tool can be quickly adapted to a completely different experience. Just look at Corporal Tim in our portfolio. Fireman Jan is designed with the building blocks of this fictitious soldier. The character, the storyline and the questions have been changed to give the trainee a completely new experience. This prevents object saturation. This is the phenomenon where returning students are no longer challenged, because they know the training facility through and through. And that is anything but desirable!
Would you like to play Fireman Jan yourself? Then contact RBOC Fort Markenbinnen.
Do you also have a didactic challenge for which you are looking for a special solution? Then please contact FireWare.
