L-3 Training Announces Sales of FireSim Driving Simulators to Waco Fire Department and Texas A&M University System
January 04, 2011
ALEXANDRIA, VA. - L-3 Training, a global provider of integrated training solutions, including simulation-based training systems, today announced two Texas-based sales of its mobile FireSim Driving Simulator – one to the Waco Fire Department and the other to Texas A&M University System’s Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Driving collisions are the second leading cause of death in the fire service, and the FireSim’s lifelike driving environment is designed to train safe decision-making and behavior skills to help save firefighters’ lives.
“We are committed to providing training devices for our nation’s firefighters who bravely and unselfishly serve the public in dangerous situations,” said Dennis Corrigan, senior vice president and general manager of L-3 Training. “These everyday heroes deserve state-of-the-art training that helps them respond to emergencies safely by teaching techniques for vehicle handling and making sound judgment calls.”
Designed by L-3 Training’s learning systems experts, the FireSim features a high-fidelity replication of the driver’s section of the truck and comes with a wide range of actual scenarios that emergency vehicle operators face, including navigating their fire trucks among drivers who fail to heed lights and sirens, correctly positioning equipment at a fire scene, and operating in inclement weather, among many others. Practiced in an environmentally friendly and risk-free environment, each scenario is designed to enhance the driver’s reaction time and build good decision-making processes for real-life situations. In addition, these simulators include metrics to measure driver performance.
With 14 fire stations staffed by 195 firefighters, the Waco Fire Department introduced simulator-based training in July 2010 to supplement ongoing classroom lessons. The FireSim’s mobile platform enables Waco to conduct training at each of its stations, keeping firefighters on-site and available to respond to emergencies as needed. The department has already trained its entire emergency operations division on the FireSim and is expanding the ways in which it utilizes the simulator in its curriculum.
TEEX will administer statewide training on the FireSim beginning in early 2011. Considered one of the best in the nation, the school’s fire program delivers training courses and technical assistance to fire departments across Texas, coordination for more than 70 area fire schools, and field courses for the National Fire Academy. Employing this alternate form of active training for students and departments will cost less than the use of actual fire apparatus.
L-3 Training’s newly upgraded FireSim features three 50-inch, high-resolution plasma displays that provide a 205-degree view of the driving environment as well as a truck cab equipped with a glass dashboard, seat, steering wheel, brake, and clutch and accelerator pedals for a true-to-life experience. Instructors control the training process from the SimCommander, an easy-to-use touch screen environment, where they can monitor performance and provide real-time feedback. The mobile simulators are contained within custom-built trailers for easy transport to train firefighters anytime and anywhere they need it.
About L-3 DPA Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, L-3 DPA provides comprehensive and integrated training programs that address training, education, leader development, organizational design and implementation, simulations, democracy transition, and emergency management across a broad spectrum of functional areas. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Justice and select international government agencies. Learn more about L-3 DPA at www.l-3training.com.
About L-3 Communications Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 64,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company reported 2007 sales of $14 billion. To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s web site at www.l-3com.com.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company’s Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-looking Statements included in the company’s recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
