The first responders are the people in the first line of defense in the aftermath of any terrorist incident or natural disaster. They include hazardous material technicians, firefighters, police officers, emergency medical providers, public works personnel, and emergency management officials. In view of recent events, a need for greater training capabilities of all emergency response teams, particularly the first responders has been felt. But training of these personnel in a real-life environment is very expensive and exposes the first responder to un-necessary risks. Besides there is a limit to the number of scenarios and the complexity under which the person can be trained. A system for training was needed replicates real-life environment in a cost-effective way. The 'First Responders Simulation and Training Environment (FiRSTE)' is an effort in this direction.

The FiRSTE is a virtual reality (VR) training system for first responders being developed in collaboration with Army's Tank-Automotive and Armament Command (TACOM), Army's Maneuver Support Center (MANSCEN), and Battelle.