Set deep in the rugged desert of Socorro, New Mexico, the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) prepares first responders from across the nation to manage response related to explosive devices. From car bomb demonstrations to explosive drone training and more, EMRTC is one of two organizations in the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) focusing on these increasingly critical public safety threats.
Dr. Van Romero is the chairman of the NDPC and first developed the EMRTC training programs. He notes, “We bear a great responsibility to deliver the absolute best training we can to these first responders. These men and women are risking their lives to protect our cities and protect our families. We need to always be looking for ways that we can deliver training to these first responders in an efficient and effective way.”
Having been a leader in this field for decades, it should come as no surprise that the EMRTC team would invest heavily in Virtual Reality training as part of its readiness coursework. In early 2024, they did just that: installing a 3,500 square foot V-Armed virtual training system, designed to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to prevent and protect against a wide variety of explosive threats.
“As more and more technology is developed and becomes available, we need to incorporate that into our programs. Virtual reality has fit in just perfect, especially in the explosive area,” adds Dr. Romero.
A key course EMRTC offers at the virtual reality training facility is the Initial Law Enforcement Response to Suicide Bombing Attacks (ILERSBA) curriculum, which focuses on identification and strategy to safely handle or de-escalate suicide bombing attacks. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the nation come to Socorro to participate in this 24-hour resident course each year, and groups of up to eight students and role players can participate in VR simultaneously to practice the principles of their training in a safe and controlled environment.
Joel Haley, EMRTC Associate Director, comments regarding the ILERSBA law enforcement course, “It is designed to let them start to physically and mentally exercise what their options would be if they’re on patrol and they happen to come upon a person carrying an explosive device – maybe a suicide vest, or it could be a package bomb.”
An unfortunately increasing circumstance across the country is the development and use of homemade explosive devices (HMEs). In collaboration with the V-Armed team, EMRTC has produced a wide variety of VR training assets like devices, assembly materials and precursor chemicals for students to identify safely in virtual environments so they can be prepared when they encounter them in the field.
