A team of engineers at Iowa State University is developing a sophisticated online training game to better prepare emergency responders for the unique challenges of a derecho, a powerful and destructive type of windstorm. This initiative, in partnership with Polk County Emergency Management, aims to create a realistic, high-pressure virtual environment where police, firefighters, medical teams, and other civic leaders can practice their decision-making and coordination skills in the face of a large-scale disaster.
The project is supported by a $700,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Civic Innovation Challenge, a program designed to foster collaboration between researchers and community partners to address pressing local issues. The multiplayer game will simulate the rapid onset and widespread impact of a derecho, forcing players to grapple with resource allocation, communication failures, and the inherent uncertainties of a real crisis. The goal is to move beyond traditional training methods and provide a more immersive and effective tool for building disaster resilience.
A New Breed of Storm Preparedness
The “serious game” is the brainchild of a team led by Cameron MacKenzie, an associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at Iowa State University. The idea for the project originated from a conversation with A.J. Mumm, the director of Polk County Emergency Management, who expressed a need for more dynamic and engaging training tools. The resulting online platform is designed to be a significant step up from current training exercises, offering a level of realism and interactivity that is difficult to achieve in a conventional setting.
The game will place players in the midst of a simulated derecho event, complete with AI-generated visuals and sound to create a truly immersive experience. Participants will take on the roles of various emergency responders and will be forced to make critical decisions in real-time. The simulation will test their ability to manage a chaotic and evolving situation, from deploying resources and coordinating with different agencies to dealing with unexpected challenges like infrastructure failures and communication breakdowns. The researchers believe that by creating a high-stakes, high-pressure environment, the game will better prepare emergency personnel for the stress and complexity of a real-world disaster.
The Destructive Power of a Derecho
A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm associated with a band of fast-moving showers or thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system. The term “derecho,” Spanish for “straight,” distinguishes these storms from tornadoes, which have rotating winds. To be classified as a derecho, a storm’s wind damage swath must extend for more than 240 miles and include wind gusts of at least 58 mph along most of its length. These powerful storms can cause destruction similar to that of a tornado, but over a much wider area.
Understanding the Threat
Derechos are a significant threat, particularly in the Midwest, where they are most common during the summer months. They form in hot, humid environments and are often associated with a “bow echo” radar signature, which is a key indicator of strong downburst winds. The straight-line winds of a derecho can cause widespread damage to trees, buildings, and power lines, leading to prolonged power outages and significant disruption. Because they can develop and move quickly, they often leave little time for communities to prepare. The widespread nature of the damage also presents a unique challenge for emergency responders, who must coordinate a response over a large and often difficult-to-access area.
Moving Beyond the Tabletop
For years, emergency management agencies have relied on tabletop exercises to test their disaster response plans. These exercises typically involve a group of stakeholders gathering around a table to discuss a hypothetical scenario. While tabletop exercises are a cost-effective way to review plans, clarify roles, and identify potential gaps, they have significant limitations.
One of the main drawbacks of tabletop exercises is their lack of realism. They do not simulate the stress, urgency, and sensory overload of a real crisis, which can lead to a false sense of security. Participants are not required to make decisions under pressure or deal with the consequences of their actions in a dynamic environment. Furthermore, these exercises often lack the physical and technical components of a real emergency, making it difficult to fully test the capabilities of a response system. The new training game from Iowa State University is designed to address these shortcomings by providing a more immersive, interactive, and challenging training experience.
The Civic Innovation Imperative
The development of the derecho training game is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Civic Innovation Challenge, a program that supports collaborations between researchers and community organizations to pilot innovative solutions to real-world problems. The program’s goal is to accelerate the transition of research into practice by empowering communities to identify their own needs and work with academic partners to develop solutions. The Iowa State project is one of 14 to receive a Stage 2 award of up to $1 million for a one-year implementation phase.
This partnership model is at the heart of the derecho game project. The collaboration between Iowa State University and Polk County Emergency Management ensures that the game is grounded in the practical needs and experiences of emergency responders. By working closely with the people who will be using the game, the engineers can create a tool that is not only technologically advanced but also highly relevant and effective.
Future of Disaster Simulation
The team at Iowa State plans to have a fully functional version of the derecho simulation ready for use next year. However, their ambitions don’t stop there. They envision a future where the game can be adapted to simulate a variety of other disaster scenarios, such as floods, tornadoes, and winter storms. The underlying framework of the game is being designed to be customizable, allowing other communities to create their own training tools tailored to their specific needs and risks, without requiring a large budget or specialized expertise.
The ultimate goal of the project is to create a new paradigm for emergency management training, one that is more engaging, effective, and accessible. By harnessing the power of simulation and gaming, the researchers hope to empower communities to be better prepared for whatever challenges they may face. The lessons learned from this project could have far-reaching implications, providing a model for how universities and communities can work together to build a more resilient future.
