Case Study: HAMMER Group improves disaster-response readiness and reduces training costs with HSI virtual simulations

Using Virtual Simulations to Avert Disaster

Hammer Group, responsible for emergency-response training at the Hanford Site, faced travel budget cuts and needed to preserve realistic, team-based disaster-response training without pulling responders away from their jobs. They turned to HSI for a virtual solution that could replicate the hands-on, collaborative experience—using immersive synchronous simulations and asynchronous administrative exercises—to maintain teamwork, communications, and mission readiness.

HSI delivered a multi-pronged virtual program—live, actor-driven hurricane and earthquake simulations in virtual response rooms with real-time communication and a self-paced administrative simulator—that generated 100% positive learner feedback, national awards, and greatly improved field performance during the two largest 2012 deployments. HSI’s solution cut travel and downtime (about $200,000 in annual savings), recovered 2–3 extra productive days per responder, reduced on-site problems, and increased protocol adherence and communication.

Hammer Group

Jon Juette

Senior Project Administrator