By Kathleen Hom
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Imagine being a first responder heading toward a major explosion or chemical spill with memories of Sept. 11 flooding your brain. Now think again, with the benefit of having played out those scenarios and your response to them.
That’s what the leaders of the National Emergency Medical Services Preparedness Initiative hopes paramedics and EMTs will be able to do. The institute, part of George Washington University, recently unveiled a video game that will allow emergency workers to hone their skills on the virtual scene of large-scale crises.
Using a $4.8 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security and taking a cue from a Defense Department game called America’s Army — which shows soldiers what life is like in battle — NEMSPI spent two years designing the game.
Full Story: Players go through four scenarios that get more complex as the game progresses