L-3 D.P. Associates Awarded Contract to Provide Driver Simulators to Chicago Fire Academy

L-3 D.P. Associates (L-3 DPA) announced today that it has been awarded a contract from the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy (NIPSTA) to provide the City of Chicago Fire Department (CFD) with three FireSim™ driver simulators. NIPSTA is the premier public safety training facility in northeastern Illinois and an intergovernmental partner with the CFD.

FireSim™ Driver Simulators

The FireSim simulators will be installed at the Chicago Fire Academy to train the CFD’s engineers responsible for navigating fire engines while en route to routine and emergency situations. Students will receive simulation-based training designed to enhance their ability to drive safely in normal, wet and icy conditions; make emergency stops; manage hazardous driving environments; and correctly position equipment at a fire scene. The wide range of urban and suburban scenarios replicated in FireSim simulators will hone engineers’ reaction times and build good decision-making skills.

“The Chicago Fire Department is among the best in the United States and we look forward to providing high-fidelity simulators that will enable its engineers to perform at optimum levels of safety and efficiency,” said Dennis Corrigan, president of L-3 DPA. “These everyday heroes deserve state-of-the-art training that will help them respond to emergencies by teaching techniques for safe vehicle handling, while making sound judgment calls in preparation for real-life situations.”

“Both NIPSTA and the City of Chicago Fire Department share a commitment to excellence in emergency preparedness and response,” said Robert Lahey, NIPSTA executive director. “These high-tech units, combined with a customized training curriculum, will help ensure the safety of firefighters and the citizens they are sworn to serve.”

The FireSim simulator features three 50-inch, high-resolution plasma displays that provide a 205-degree view of the driving environment. Each simulator’s fire engine cab is equipped with a glass dashboard, seat, steering wheel, brake, and clutch and accelerator pedals for a true-to-life experience. Force-loaded steering provides engineers with real-time feedback that augments their muscle memory during situations such as a tire blowout or sloshing loads. An easy-to-use touch-screen display enables instructors to control the training exercise, while also monitoring performance and providing real-time feedback to engineers.

Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., L-3 DPA is a part of L-3 Link Simulation & Training and is a recognized global leader in total training solutions. These solutions incorporate a complete analysis and review of organizational instructional requirements, development of custom-tailored training solutions and effective monitoring of student progress. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3training.com.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 51,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and national security solutions. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2012 sales of $13.1 billion. To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com.