Volusia County deputies undergo training in active shooter simulator

Volusia County deputies undergo training in active shooter simulator

Volusia County sheriff's deputies are training for active shooter scenarios with new state-of-the-art simulation technology. All deputies and school guardians will be required to regularly step into the VirTra simulator for training.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In a classroom where they once studied and listened to lectures, Volusia County sheriff's deputies now sweat, surrounded by screens that are pumping out nightmare scenarios which they may one day face for real.

The Sheriff’s Office unveiled their new VirTra simulator at their training center near Daytona Beach. The simulator is made up of 300 degrees of screens with projectors pumping out real-life scenarios that deputies and other trainees are placed directly into. The system can put them in the center of a school shooting, a mass shooting in a movie theater, hostage situation, suicide attempt call, and a variety of other situations they may come across in the real world. The deputies controlling the VirTra can change the scenarios and interactions on the fly based on the decisions the trainee makes.

“Every decision doesn't end in gunfire,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

In fact, trainees are armed with a variety of simulated weapons from a gun to pepper spray and may have to pull any one of them if needed. Then again, they may be able to talk the suspect on the other side of the screen into giving up and coming to a peaceful resolution. The point is: to make it as real as possible.

"It's real life. I mean you get shocked if you don't make the right decision,” said Chitwood.

Trainees do wear a shock pack against their back while training that lets out a mild shock if they get shot by the virtual shooters; a small consequence compared to what they’d endure in the real thing though.

Chitwood said the simulator cost about $181,000, with $125,000 funded by a grant and the remainder paid out of drug forfeiture funds. He said it’s a small price compared to even the rounds they’d use on the shooting range.Chitwood said his office is one of only about 200 in the country to have the new technology. Volusia County had a similar system before, but the sheriff said it was nowhere as real or as responsive as the new system.

So far a handful of deputies have trained on it, but Chitwood said all will be required to step into it regularly. However, his main target for the training: school guardians. Chitwood said he wants those deputies and guardians protecting Volusia County’s schools to go through active shooter scenarios in the simulator so they are ready to run toward the danger if it ever unfolds for real.