CFA's driving capability is soon to become virtual, with development underway for five mobile driving simulators.
The first of its kind across the emergency services in Victoria, this project comes as part of CFA's ongoing commitment to enhance volunteer driving capability.
The cutting-edge simulators, being made by Motum Simulation, will support the existing Volunteer Driving Training Program, which has already seen more than 1,600 heavy vehicle licences approved, the delivery of 10 driver training trucks and more than 55 driving courses scheduled across Victoria.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer for Operational Doctrine and Training, Rohan Luke said the mobile simulators are being designed to allow volunteers to experience high-risk driving scenarios in a safe, controlled environment - scenarios that are difficult or impossible to replicate in real life.
"These include emergency response driving (with lights and sirens), navigating firegrounds, avoiding falling trees and managing potential rollovers in challenging off-road conditions," Rohan said.
Equipped with virtual reality (VR) headsets and eye-tracking technology, the simulators will provide an immersive and realistic driving experience, helping drivers sharpen critical skills like spatial awareness, mirror checking and hazard perception.
Rohan said once delivered, the simulators will be fully mobile and travel across the state, providing access to volunteers in both urban and rural locations.
"Simulated environments will include a wide range of driving conditions, with trainers able to trigger dynamic events to challenge and test driver response in real time," Rohan said.
"Initially, five different response vehicles will be replicated in the simulators, including both manual and automatic transmission vehicles, ensuring volunteers receive experiences specific to the trucks they will operate in the field.
"These simulators, along with ongoing licensing and driving training efforts, will help ensure our members are well-equipped to drive safely and effectively, both now and into the future."
A sample driving simulator using some of the newly designed CFA VR software will be featured at the CFA/VFBV State Championships in March 2026.
Delivery of the first two simulators is expected in June 2026, with the additional three simulators delivered in October this year.
The $1.25m project is part of the Upskilling and Protecting our Firefighters Program, funded by the Victorian Government.
