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MPRI Equips Texas Firefighters with FireSim Driver Training Simulator
(February 12, 2009) --
The Ponderosa Fire Department Will Train Drivers to Negotiate Emergency Vehicles in Heavy Houston-area Traffic
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — MPRI, a global leader in vehicle simulator products, services and turnkey training facilities, today announced that it has sold a FireSim Driving Simulator to the Ponderosa Fire Department in Harris County, Texas. The simulator offers realistic driving scenarios that help drivers learn to anticipate and navigate hazardous situations in a controlled environment. Ponderosa FD purchased the simulator with assistance from a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The department will expand training availability to firefighters and EMS personnel from additional agencies.
“In our area, just outside Houston, traffic is terrible at most times of day, so driver training is a major priority for us. The simulator is a tremendously valuable tool that will enhance the skills of new drivers while helping veteran drivers sharpen their skills,” said Fred Windisch, chief of the Ponderosa Fire Department. “I encourage all fire departments and emergency services agencies to apply for FEMA grants like the one we received.”
MPRI’s FireSim Driving Simulator provides the look and feel of an actual fire vehicle, with a realistic seat, pedals, steering wheel, dashboard and brakes. Driving scenarios play on a three-channel plasma screen, training drivers to effectively respond to a variety of hazardous conditions. With force-loaded steering, the simulator offers real-time feedback to develop muscle memory in cases of collision avoidance and tire failure. SimCommander technology allows instructors to control training exercises via a touch-screen console, and each session can be recorded for later analysis.
“By training in our state-of-the-art simulators, drivers get the benefit of experiential learning in feature-rich, highly realistic environments,” said Richard Gerding, senior vice president and general manager, Simulations Group, MPRI. “The Ponderosa Fire Department will have some of the best-trained drivers anywhere, which will improve the safety of both the drivers and the general public.”
The Ponderosa Fire Department serves as the fire and rescue services of Emergency Services District #28 in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. Founded in 1972, it now operates from Stations 61, 62 and 63 in the Houston area using both volunteer and full-time firefighters.
About MPRI
Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, MPRI provides comprehensive and integrated 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 MPRI at www.mpri.com.
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 2008 sales of $14.9 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. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "will," "could" and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
-- Posted on Thursday, February 12 2009
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