Geelong firm’s CFA virtual training boost
A VIRTUAL reality firefighting training program created in Geelong is set to help upskill CFA volunteers under a $2m deal with the state government.
The CFA has bought five FLAIM Trainer and 10 FLAIM Extinguisher systems and will roll out the virtual training program to its more than 30,000 volunteers this year.
Rapidly growing Geelong company Flaim Systems said its training programs were now sold in 25 countries. Chief technical officer James Mullins said new scenarios involving large-scale bushfire environments were being developed that would help train firefighters and the public about what to expect if a bushfire came through.
He said the training system was also being rolled out to NSW’s urban and metropolitan fire services, while Queensland and Western Australian services were already on-board and discussions with other states were ongoing.
After a capital raise last year, Flaim Systems has scaled up its production at its Deakin University base in the past 12 months.
New CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan joined Bellarine MP and Police Minister Lisa Neville for a demonstration at Portarlington fire station on Friday.
The systems give trainees sensory feedback of a firefight, including heat and hose pressure, while using a combination of real firefighting equipment, state-of-the art haptics and virtual reality technology.
Ms Neville said the training program was an exciting development in the evolution of Victorian firefighting training.
“It will give our hard working volunteer firefighters the ability to extend their skills without exposing them to danger, and allow the CFA to expand its practical training to include more complex scenarios,” she said.
“We’re ensuring our emergency services have the tools
and resources they need to keep the community safe — this includes significant investment
in the training capabilities of our volunteers on the frontline.”