The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office unveiled its new virtual reality training system that it believes will help provide the best training possible for active shootings and deescalation.
“My job is to ensure my deputies are trained and prepared for an active shooter situation,” Sheriff Carlos Bolanos said. “I felt it was essential to invest in the VirTra 300 4K, a unique simulator and precisely the kind of technology law enforcement needs now.”
The VirTra 300 use of force training simulator enables Law Enforcement Officers to build judgmental use of force, marksmanship, and tactical training skills within the world's only 300 degree video-based use of force training simulator. Five screens and a 300-degree fully immersive training platform ensure each minute in the simulator translates into real-world skills.
In today’s world, prepared and well-trained law enforcement officers are far more likely to deescalate situations appropriately and use the least possible force. The VirTra 300 Small Arms Training Simulator is just one of the many tools that can help LEOs train in a safe and monitored environment that can save lives.
Decision-Making at its Finest
Law enforcement officers make tough decisions each and every day. Often, they must make these decisions under a great deal of stress that comes from encountering situations that are brand new to them. The best way for anyone to make better decisions under stress is to practice making them – to put themselves in those unfamiliar situations until they become more familiar. That’s exactly what the VirTra 300 Small Arms Training Simulator (V-300 system) from VirTra is designed to do. It offers a realistic simulated environment that can be completely customized with unique scenarios to help train offers to make better decisions.
Real-World Survival Skills
The V-300 is by far the gold standard when it comes to police officer training as it covers the use of force and firearms training in one amazing package. The scenarios are based on real-life events, and thanks to five screens that surround the trainee by 300 degrees, he or she will be totally immersed in the actions. The roles in each scenario are played by trained actors who have the skills to portray various emotions, which makes things as realistic as possible. It’s this sort of simulated environment that provides officers with the experiences they need to use force appropriately and use their weapons safely out in the field.
Full Force Options Training
There are numerous scenarios built right into the V-300 system, and these are backed by features that simply cannot be replicated by any other simulator. The training supports everything from officer presence and verbal commands to the use of OC, TASERs, ECD, beanbag shotguns, and traditional firearms like pistols, shotguns, and rifles. In firearms training mode, there are up to 15 individual firing lanes, allowing for supervised practice that can truly make a difference.
With the optional Threat-Fire device, the simulated environment becomes even more realistic. It simulates return fire with either electrical impulses or vibrations, which helps to provide officers with real-world feedback based on their actions. Despite the simulated dangers, the environment is perfectly safe, and this is why it is such a valuable addition to any department’s arsenal of training tools.
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Please watch: "VirTra - Training Simulator UTAH ABC4"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXu7FJm1Xnk
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The V-300 option from Arizona company VirTra uses five large screens and a 4K projector to provide a 300-degree immersive training environment for reality-based situations, setting it apart from older technology. Hundreds of scenarios are available around active shooters, use of force training, de-escalation and mental health crisis. A user’s decision during the scenarios affects outcomes throughout the training, giving responsibility and choice to the user. Scenarios are filmed beforehand and are available in a database, with actors providing facial cues and actions officers have to pick up on.
Users receive guns modified explicitly for a training experience with no live bullets but instead use compressed carbon dioxide gas cartridges in the magazine.
The CO2 allows for shot location feedback after the training to see how you did and areas that need improvement. After receiving general information about the situation, users then step into the virtual reality area. Once the training starts, users can go alone or have a partner with them. Users go through an immersive environment that can create elevated heart rates and high adrenaline levels without being in a live scenario.
The Sheriff’s Office is the first agency in California to have the tool. Bolanos called it another additional tool to help address the threats of active shooter incidents, which have increased across the nation.
“Each training scenario helps officers improve their critical thinking and tactical skills under pressure and the psychological stresses of lifelike situations,” Bolanos said. “This simulator is an excellent addition to our organization. It will be available to all San Mateo County law enforcement agencies and those state and federal agencies that wish to use it.”
Sgt. Philip Hallworth said scenarios could last five to 15 minutes. The Sheriff’s Office said students would likely go through scenarios three to four times a year to learn or update their skills. Another program allows training staff to record or photograph any location in the county, like a courthouse or theater. The Sheriff’s Office can then put in characters and scenarios so deputies can see local areas. On its website, VirTra said that it bases scenarios on case laws and after-action reports to garner the most realistic experience. Hallworth said the experience is much more immersive than previous single-screen simulators and headsets. Deputies are also expected to give commands and identify and neutralize any threats. The Sheriff’s Office is leasing the equipment for $60,000 a year. Hallworth noted live training is sometimes not feasible, like taking over a mall or school during the day and getting enough people to participate.
“It will never take over any live training, but it’s a great complement to it,” Hallworth said.
Hallworth said the program triggers real body alarms and stress levels and provides opportunities for the brain to process being in dangerous and varied situations. Putting people through high-stress situations will hopefully lead to stress inoculation and better decision-making in the real world.
“Triggering real stress levels is what we want to do for our deputies, students and our officers in this county, to acclimatize them, so the first time they get a call if this situation ever happens is not the first time they are seeing it,” Hallworth said.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
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