Disaster Response Device Tested
Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif., tested an Advanced Disaster Management Simulator (ADMS) on Aug. 22 with help from county law enforcement and fire agencies. The program resembles a video game and relies on virtual reality technology to train emergency personnel.
The college will test additional training programs before deciding on one to purchase, hopefully within a year, according to Joe Santoro, dean of the Administration of Justice, Corrections, and Fire Science academies. The college wants the technology ready for its future Homeland Security Training Institute.
he ADMS simulation resembled a gun fight in a food court in a shopping complex, followed by a terrorist explosion. The event created an opportunity for first-responders to gather “from all over and talk about their basic needs,” according to Santoro. “Now, there is very little–if any–hands-on training for terrorism.”
The college would have to pay roughly $300,000 for the ADMS program, which would be partially borne by a $150,000 appropriation to the Department of Justice Community-Oriented Policing technology program.
Law enforcement and other departments can take part in the training program when it is established, said Santoro.
The program can also replicate fires, hazardous material leaks, and vehicular collisions.
Alhambra Fire Department Captain John Cermack said the ADMS program would allow agencies to become more familiar with other agencies’ approaches and platforms.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Whittier Daily News (CA) (08/22/06); Mazza, Sandy .
