TechBeat, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System’s monthly interactive newsmagazine, offers updates on technology and research related to public safety. In November, TechBeat featured the Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE), a free, virtual training tool that enables first responders across disciplines and jurisdictions to train for critical incidents through game-based software.
Launched in summer 2017, the EDGE tool was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. This web-based tool addresses a capability gap identified by first responders who emphasized a need for virtual training that incorporates the roles of dispatch, fire, and law enforcement personnel. Using discipline-based avatars, first responders can use EDGE to train for critical incidents, such as active shooter situations, and enhance their critical incident plans and policies.
To learn more, access the TechBeat article, “Virtual Training Tool Allows First Responders to Train Across Jurisdictions and Disciplines.”