Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 4, 2024 5 Startups, Technology & Innovation VRSim's virtual reality training system for emergency medical personnel (shown above) provides real-life situations to learn basic skills. IMAGE | CONTRIBUTED E. Hartford company develops virtual reality training for EMTs, paramedics By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com C hris DeRosa is an emer- gency medical technician (EMT) instructor who has been there and done that. In fact, while serving as a fire- fighter in South Carolina, he and his crew once assisted in three different emergency births in a span of six days. More recently, DeRosa, now the department head for criminal justice and protective services at Bull- ard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport, has served as a consul- tant for East Hartford-based VRSim. The company has developed virtual reality (VR) training for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, EMTs and paramedics. The program, which is being released March 8, was recently demonstrated during an event at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. DeRosa said VRSim's new tech- nology will broaden access to and improve EMT training. "I think it's going to give students a better understanding of the skills that they need in order to finish the state- and national-level certification tests," he said. 'Better training faster' Matthew Wallace, president and CEO of VRSim, said his company developed the virtual reality EMT training system as a way to "make a dent" in the shortage of EMTs and paramedics. "The goal is a better training modality — better training faster," he said. VRSim was founded in the early 2000s by creating a VR simulator that could train welders. That was followed by a VR system to train workers painting with industrial coatings, like those used on submarines. The company last year expanded into VR training for certified nursing assistants. VRSim currently employs 18 people and expects to generate $5 million in revenue this year, Wallace said. After learning about a statewide shortage of firefighters, EMTs and paramedics — which prompted Gov. Ned Lamont to establish a task force to address the issue last year — VRSim decided to develop its new training system for emergency medical personnel to help speed training. Wallace said he was approached by former East Hartford Mayor Mike Walsh, who told him the town's emergency services units were trying to attract young adults who can be trained in basic emergency services skills. Eight months later, VRSim created the training program, Wallace said. VR training systems have an advantage with younger adults, who have grown up using computers and playing video games, Wallace said. VRSim allows training for not only more common scenarios, like treating a patient in cardiac arrest, but rare situations that would be difficult to set up in real life, like chemical spills or emergency births. "By using this, we can also give them exposure to events that are less common but have high value," Wallace said. "Something like a live childbirth where they don't have time to get to the hospital." AT A GLANCE VRSim Industry: Virtual reality professional training Top Executive: Matthew Wallace, President & CEO HQ: 111 Roberts St., East Hartford Employees: 18 Website: vrsim.com Contact: 860-893-0080 Three emergency births While emergency births are generally considered rare, it's something DeRosa knows a lot about. While serving in the Army in South Carolina, he was released from active duty and trained to serve as a firefighter in Richland County. "I did a week of training, and that last Friday they put you out on the street," he said. "That Friday afternoon, the crew that I was with, we delivered a baby." The following Monday, he said, he and his crew handled another emergency birth. But they weren't done. "That Wednesday, we had another," he said. DeRosa, who has tried VRSim's EMT virtual reality training system, said it's very realistic. "The birthing one that they have is an excellent thing," he said. "It's a high-risk, low-frequency type call. So, it's one of those skills you don't get to do (often), and the portion of the program where they do that skill is right on to what happens in the real world." Wallace said VRSim has contracts with experts like DeRosa to review programs and ensure their accuracy and that they meet training requirements.

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