How to build realistic command simulations

Better Every Shift · Oct 22, 2026 · 37m

Some of the hardest fires you’ll ever command are ones you can’t safely recreate for real. A well-built simulation is the closest most firefighters will get. Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department Captain Mark Killion explains how to build command simulations that hold up: Stagger unit arrivals using real response data, tie fire behavior to the clock, script the radio traffic with multiple voices, and build every scenario around structures in your first-due. Get it wrong and you risk creating a “training scar.” Get the culture right — no “gotcha” — and officers can actually learn from it…