We are proud to welcome the Unified Fire Department from Rotterdam as a new XVR user. The fire service will be using both XVR On Scene and XVR Expo to train and develop their commanders and crews in complex industrial scenarios that are difficult to practise in real life. These include incidents involving hazardous substances and large-scale fires.
With XVR On Scene, the fire service can simulate large and high-risk incidents within a safe and controlled virtual environment. This enables commanders and officers to rehearse decision-making, coordination and tactical deployment in rare but critical scenarios. Thanks to the flexibility of the software, the fire service can create bespoke scenarios tailored to their specific operational challenges, such as tank pit fires or chemical leaks.
XVR Expo is used to virtually familiarise firefighters with specific industrial sites. Using 360-degree photography, crews can explore high-risk or hard-to-access environments in advance, before attending in person. This enhances situational awareness and ensures that normal operations at the site can continue without disruption.
The fire service fulfils a dual role. It serves as the industrial fire service for around 65 companies in the Rotterdam port area and surrounding industrial zones, while also providing public fire cover to nearby residential areas. With its specialist expertise in industrial firefighting, the fire service helps to minimise damage and disruption for stakeholders.
As part of the collaboration, custom 3D objects are being developed. These include a fully recreated fire engine used by the fire service, complete with working hose connections. Additional objects are being created to support training for specialist responses to tank pit fires, such as extra-thick hoses with a diameter of approximately 30 centimetres and new firefighting robots (UGVs), which form part of the mobile solution provided by the Collective Firefighting Pool.
Ilka Schot, Team Leader, Dept. of Operational Competence, explains: “We decided on our partnership with XVR after careful consideration. With the flexibility of XVR and the ability to design our own scenarios, we can further develop our deployment procedures and tactics for complex incidents.”
