Background
In early 2026, XpertVR delivered one of its largest Skills Development Fund-supported XpertFire deployments to date, working alongside St. Thomas Fire and four neighbouring departments across Elgin County, Ontario. The deployment was coordinated with St. Thomas Fire's Chief of Training, Brad Stewart, to design a schedule compatible with operational demands.
Deployment Structure
Training ran across six days: four hosted at St. Thomas Fire's training room and two covering Southwold, Rodney, and West Elgin fire departments. Firefighters rotated through sessions of four to eight in two-to-three-hour blocks, with built-in flexibility for emergency calls and service coverage. The structure allowed up to 24 firefighters to train per day. On days when St. Thomas meeting rooms were in use, crews were welcomed into kitchens, dining areas, and lounge spaces, with departments rearranging around the programme.
Scenarios and Skills Trained
All scenarios centred on full residential fireground responses. Firefighters practised:
- Interior search and suppression
- Crew movement and coordination
- Radio communication and discipline
- Incident Command communication and delegation
Every scenario required firefighters to think holistically: when to act, what to communicate, and how to adjust when conditions changed. Rather than committing entire days to classroom training, crews fitted sessions between calls throughout the working day.
Engagement and Coverage
Initial curiosity about VR quickly gave way to enthusiasm. Firefighters became comfortable with the technology within a couple of scenarios and shifted focus from controls to tactics. Debriefs saw crews discussing mistakes openly before immediately re-running scenarios to apply lessons. The deployment attracted wider attention when CTV London covered it in January 2026, exploring how immersive technology supports firefighter readiness alongside, rather than replacing, hands-on training.
Outcomes and Next Steps
Following the delivery, St. Thomas and the regional departments continue to receive free access to XpertFire software through the Skills Development Fund. XpertVR is supporting departments as they explore hardware acquisition to enable monthly, year-round training. Both firefighters and leadership identified VR as a practical way to train on quieter operational days, maintain sharpness between live burns, prepare for rare or complex scenarios, and reinforce communication before it matters in the field.
