Winter is just a few short weeks away, and, in the wake of devastating ice storms in recent years, Austin officials gave an update Tuesday on what the city is doing to prepare for winter weather.
Government Technology
Training for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) responders in Texas looked very different prior to the addition of augmented and virtual reality technology in the department.
According to Commander Keith Noble of ATCEMS, traditional training involved a PowerPoint presentation and a walkthrough of the department s ambulance bus (Ambus). There were plans for a large mass-casualty event training in the works for several years, but it would have involved bringing in 600 employees on overtime pay for several hours to complete it.
Through Noble s leadership, ATCEMS identified a better way of doing things through AR and VR, which would lower costs and allow for more versatile training, as new scenarios can be added.