Enhanced firefighter training: Leica Geosystems and ARcortex elevate fire operations for the City of Corona Fire Department, CA (US)

In the fast-paced field of public safety and emergency responses, innovations that boost efficiency and precision hold the potential to save lives. An unprecedented collaboration between Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, ARcortex, and Immersal, part of Hexagon, is promising to reshape the future of firefighting training with their synergistic capabilities in data capture, modelling and Augmented Reality (AR) development. These combined geospatial technologies offer fire and emergency response training professionals an unrivalled value proposition. The Corona Fire Department, seeking advanced solutions to enhance its training programs, has become a key partner in this revolutionary initiative.
 

Major challenges in firefighting

Limited Information: Firefighters often respond to emergencies with minimal information. The joint solution can provide valuable intelligence both en route and during the initial size-up of the fire scene.
Situational Awareness: Firefighters require a high degree of situational awareness. The collaboration’s deliverables can grant Corona’s firefighters “superhuman” abilities to visualise their surroundings and track personnel during one of the firefighting emergency scenarios.
Pre-Incident Planning: Firefighters have limited resources for pre-incident planning. The new AR solution will enable complete 3D mapping and visualisation of the building information.
Realistic Training: Firefighters need training tools that can simulate real emergencies. Leica Geosystems, ARcortex, and Immersal’s technological offering will provide the Corona Fire Department trainees with realistic virtual simulations of fire scenarios without the limitations of VR headsets, like the size and weight of the equipment and motion sickness, disorientation, or eye strain during deployment.

Applications of AR in Firefighting

AR makes firefighter training more effective by creating/simulating lifelike practice scenarios. With AR, firefighters can train in large scale environments using digital assets that reproduce emergencies that look and feel like real emergencies, even though they are safe and controlled. AR can show digital twins of a building and highlight important spots like exits or hazards right in front of the firefighter’s eyes. This way, trainees can practice finding their way through smoke-filled rooms or searching for people without the danger of actual fires. Instructors can also give real-time feedback and adjust the training scenarios as needed, which helps firefighters get better at their jobs before facing real emergencies.

AR technology is also improving emergency planning scenarios for firefighters. AR can help them better understand how to handle different situations before they happen. 

For the Corona Fire Department, enhanced training capability with 3D reality capture and AR technology means improved situational awareness and preparedness, leading to more effective and safer emergency responses.

Corona Fire Department is seeking new training solutions.

The City of Corona Fire Department, located in Corona, California (US), serves a population of approximately 160,000 residents. With a dedicated team of over 100 firefighters operating from seven strategically located fire stations, the department is committed to providing high-quality emergency services, including fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue. The department’s mission is to protect lives, property, and the environment through preparedness, education, and emergency response. The Corona Fire Department’s active pursuit of new ways to train firefighters and optimise emergency response efficiently demonstrates their unwavering dedication to their mission. 

Leica Geosystems’ pivotal role: Creating 3D Digital Twin of Corona’s “Fire Tower”

Leica Geosystems’ technology portfolio includes hardware and software solutions for capturing accurate, detail-rich data to create digital 3D representations of real-world environments, the Digital Twins. For the purpose of this project, Leica Geosystems utilised the RTC360 laser scanner for the Corona Fire Department to scan their training facilities, including the so-called “fire tower,” used for various firefighter training exercises. The detailed 3D Digital Twins (data and models) generated from these scans were then provided to ARcortex to develop AR applications for Corona’s future firefighter training.

Including Immersal, an AR location tracking and mapping software, adds another dimension to Hexagon’s/Leica Geosystems’ technology stack. Immersal can create and utilise spatial maps for localising AR content, boosting the precision and effectiveness of AR applications. This capability is crucial for the Corona Fire Department as they look to implement more realistic and practical training scenarios.

ARcortex: 3D data modelling for pre-planning, operations and training for firefighters within the AR platform ERIS

ARcortex, renowned for its work in AR technology over the last 25 years, is the creator and primary developer of the Emergency Reality Information System (ERIS). ERIS offers a complete 3D mapping and visualisation tool that significantly bolsters the effectiveness of firefighters’ pre-incident planning and training.

Possessing substantial expertise in AR, ARcortex focuses on the development of a training configurator enabling training officers to craft their own training scenarios. Their role in the collaboration results in the accumulation of hyper-accurate, data-rich training scenarios customised for the needs of firefighting and emergency response teams, such as those of the Corona Fire Department.

Addressing firefighter challenges with a joint solution: Leica Geosystems’ 3D reality capture, ARcortex’ ERIS and Immersal

ARcortex’s ERIS integrates 3D reality capture data from Leica Geosystems for training. When conducting pre-incident surveys and inspections, fire safety personnel can go beyond photos and two-dimensional floor plans. The solution allows them to capture the detailed features of a property three-dimensionally, ready to be utilised during the training with AR. A 3D-captured model can include, for instance, fire department connections, critical utility shutoffs, entrances and exits, electrical hazards, fire hydrants, hazardous materials storage, and fire extinguishers.

3D data can give Incident Commanders a new level of situational awareness when preparing an action plan during the training.

It allows for:

1. Visualisation of floor plans and interior rooms in 3D to avoid hazards such as high voltage, overhead loads, and fall risks.Planning optimal entry and exit points for firefighters to conduct safer and more efficient search and rescue/rapid interventions.
2. Localisation and real-time movement tracking of firefighters in relation to 3D building data (inside and outside the building, even though the walls of a structure).
3. Building data overlays, where virtual floor plans and digital assets are overlaid precisely atop their real-world coordinates.
4. Tagging, annotation, labels, and drawings which can be affixed to the interior and exterior of a structure.
5. Monitoring conditions via localised IoT sensor data, such as temperature, oxygen, and other sensors, can provide a more complete picture of interior and exterior conditions.
6. Fire and smoke propagation and virtual simulations of fire behaviour for next-level training opportunities.
7. One-to-one real-time correlation between map view and the real world.
8. Multiple user perspectives for trainees and trainers allow them to view the same content from their perspectives.
   
   
   

The benefits of AR training for the Corona Fire Department

Effortless & Fully Immersive Learning Integration: Providing a highly immersive AR experience makes training more accessible for firefighters and trainees from Corona. They can retain information better and apply what they’ve learned on the job, enhancing their readiness for real-world emergencies. This approach also reduces training costs and helps meet safety and sustainability objectives.
Rapid Skill Development: AR accelerates hands-on learning, equipping Corona firefighters with practical skills for swift onboarding and enhanced agility. This rapid skill development is crucial for maintaining a highly responsive and effective fire department.
Data-Driven Insights: AR training empowers the Corona Fire Department through data-driven insights. By evaluating performance, they can continuously enhance training programs and evolve their strategies for success.

Immersive Learning Experiences: Immersive AR training builds lifelike skills and confidence for real-world productivity and adaptability. Firefighters from the Corona Department can practice various scenarios repeatedly in a controlled environment, ensuring they are well-prepared for any situation they might encounter.

Customizable Training Solutions: AR training offers customisable modules tailored to the specific needs, goals, and roles within the Corona Fire Department. This ensures the training is engaging, effective, and relevant to their unique operational requirements.
Enhanced Retention: Immersive AR training boosts knowledge retention, enabling firefighters from Corona to apply their skills effectively in real emergencies. This leads to sustained success and improved safety during actual fire and rescue operations.

Scalable & Flexible Platform: The AR training platform can be scaled from small teams to the entire department, allowing for flexible adaptation of training modules. This scalability ensures that all firefighters, regardless of experience level, receive impactful and tailored training.

Joint Efforts: ‘Replaying’ Scenarios and Data

Jointly, Leica Geosystems and ARcortex enable realistic ‘replays’ of training scenarios. With Hexagon’s Reality Cloud Studio creating high-precision 3D models from captured data and ARcortex’s ERIS system overlaying crucial situational data, the teams can simulate and analyse an extensive range of fire and emergency situations. These can be replayed as often as needed, allowing for refined strategies and improved performance. This capability particularly benefits the Corona Fire Department, enabling them to conduct thorough training sessions and improve their response strategies.

Combined Tech: The Future of Firefighting Training
The combined technologies offered by this collaboration bring significant benefits. Firefighters can train with incredibly accurate simulations, AR views overlay data onto real-world scenes, and building information can be viewed in AR to ensure effective planning and safety measures during real-life emergencies.

More importantly, firefighters can train with these tools wherever they are, opening up specialised training opportunities for departments with limited resources. This combined tech solution also allows real-time personnel tracking, providing commanders with next-gen situational awareness. For the Corona Fire Department, this means enhanced training capabilities and improved safety for their firefighters and the community they serve.

"Leveraging on Leica Geosystems high quality 3D capture, ERIS is a user-friendly system that enhances fire training for all ranks by providing simulated scenarios where firefighters wear their actual PPE and use their own tools. While it doesn't replace live fire training, it serves as an excellent tool for conducting high-quality 'tower' drills."

Justin Detmer, Fire Captain, City of Corona Fire Department

Conclusion

As an unprecedented endeavour in public safety training, this joint effort between Hexagon/Leica Geosystems, ARcortex, and Immersal with the Corona Fire Department brings together the best 3D reality capture, AR, and data modelling technologies. This synergy promises to transform the future of firefighting training and incident response by offering significant benefits such as enhanced safety measures, cost efficiency, reinforced training, and a fortified foundation of pre-planning operations.