Case Study: Mission Support Alliance achieves realistic, cost-effective virtual disaster-response training with HSI

Mission Support Alliance - Customer Case Study

Mission Support Alliance (MSA), through its HAMMER training center at the Hanford Site, needed to modernize eight-year-old, hands-on emergency responder training while travel budgets were cut and responders couldn’t be away from their posts. The challenge was to replicate teamwork-focused, realistic disaster simulations virtually—covering both operational response and necessary administrative procedures—so responders could train together in real time and still meet DOE readiness requirements. MSA engaged HSI to develop a virtual simulation–based training solution.

HSI delivered a multi-pronged program of online refresher modules, immersive synchronous simulations (full-scale hurricane and earthquake scenarios with actors and a virtual FEMA briefing room), and asynchronous self-paced administrative simulations, supported by moderators and on-hand technical staff. The HSI solution produced 100% positive participant feedback, national awards, markedly improved on-deployment communications, and near-elimination of the trained problems in two major 2012 deployments; it also saved DOE about $200,000 a year in travel and recovered several days of responder productivity.

Mission Support Alliance