New immersive skills lab offers safe, realistic training to emergency responders

The Capita Fire Service College is pushing the boundaries of firefighter and emergency responder training with its newly launched immersive skills lab, blending virtual environments, practical exercises and multi-agency collaboration to prepare personnel for the complexities of modern operations.

At The Emergency Services Show, Alex Clark, Chief Fire Officer at Capita, Mark Lester, College Director, and Pippa Steele, Head of Curriculum Design, outlined how the College is rethinking traditional approaches to emergency service training.

“We are at a tipping point in firefighter development. The uniqueness of the College in terms of scale, assets, and capabilities allows us to take learners from their first day through to senior officer development, combining virtual, safe environments with practical applications.”

Alex Clark, Chief Fire Officer at Capita.

The immersive skills lab represents a step change, creating opportunities for responders to train in controlled, high-pressure simulations before applying that learning in the field. By leveraging virtual reality and other learning technologies, trainees can experiment, fail, and receive immediate feedback – something that is difficult to replicate safely in live-fire or high-risk scenarios.

“It’s about building confidence and demonstrating that learning technology has a meaningful role in the learner journey. We want to show that this is not just gamification – there is academic rigour and practical impact behind every exercise.”

Pippa Steele, Head of Curriculum Design, Capita.

The College’s approach extends beyond firefighters, encompassing ambulance services, police, and highway agencies. This multi-agency focus reflects the reality of emergency response, where collaboration across services is critical. “We see this as a real step change, not just for the fire sector, but for all emergency services,” Mark explained. “The immersive lab enables us to scale exercises and expose responders to complex situations in ways that were previously impossible.”

Partnerships with technology providers, including Flaim Systems and Rivr, are central to the College’s innovation strategy. “These partnerships are crucial,” said Mark. “We bring the facilities and curriculum expertise; our partners bring niche products and specialist knowledge. Together, we create a compelling ecosystem that delivers tangible results for learners.” Alex added that the collaboration benefits partners as much as the College. “We understand the operational demands of services and can help translate their needs into effective training solutions. It’s an ideal tripartite model for innovation.”

The College is also adapting its delivery model to meet the needs of a changing workforce. Apprenticeships are central to this strategy, offering structured, funded pathways for both operational and on-call personnel. Blended learning approaches combine classroom, virtual, and practical experiences to enhance skill development and retention.

Pippa explained that the College is keen to find the right balance between virtual and live environments. “It’s not about using technology for technology’s sake, it’s about enhancing learning outcomes in a meaningful way.” This approach is underpinned by a Teaching and Learning Quality Framework, which ensures that every course is carefully scoped to the learner journey, from theory to immersive practice.

The College is also exploring how technology can provide insights into physiological and decision-making responses during training. Mark highlighted the ability to monitor metrics such as heart rate and core temperature during exercises, enabling incident commanders and instructors to provide targeted feedback.

Looking ahead, the Fire Service College aims to extend these innovations beyond its campus, offering distributed training solutions that can be deployed anywhere in the world. The immersive skills lab, combined with the College’s 140-acre incident ground, provides a unique environment to integrate technology with live exercises, testing everything from tactical response to command decision-making in realistic scenarios.

Alex emphasised the importance of collaboration for developing bespoke multi-agency exercises. “Connect with us, have the conversations, and we can bring the right expertise together to deliver successful outcomes. Technology and practical training must support each other, they do not replace one another.”

The College will open its doors for a wider audience in December 2025, allowing visitors to experience the full range of training capabilities firsthand.

Watch the full interview below.

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