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The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has installed a new simulator training system designed to help officers respond to high-stress situations, like active shooters.
The VirTra simulator allows members of law enforcement to train in simulations of real-world scenarios, such as active shooters or domestic violence threats in locations like a movie theatrer or school campus. The county Sheriff’s Office is the first agency in California to employ this training tool.
The announcement comes just a week after 19 students and two teachers were killed when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
"We are excited to have this new training tool to help our new deputies develop the best skills and prepare for the field," said Sheriff Carlos Bolanos.
The technology includes five large screens for an immersive training environment. The system is also able to recreate psychological stressors like elevated heart rate and high adrenaline levels, but in the security of a safe environment. Participants will be able to focus on specific areas of training such as de-escalation, use of force, one-on-one communication skills and dealing with mentally-ill or disabled persons.
"This training is also beneficial to our current deputies and acts to keep their skills sharp and up to date," Bolanos said. "I am also happy to see that this will greatly improve our use of force and de-escalation tactics."
