By Tim Pierce, FirstNet Region V Lead
The OhioFirst.Net program has developed a unique way for people to experience the potential of the FirstNet network – a video game that allows users to virtually see the increased situational awareness the nationwide public safety broadband network will provide to first responders. The organization will debut the game next week at APCO’s Public Safety Broadband Summit in Washington, DC.
“We’ve done a lot of outreach in the state,” said Kelly Castle, program manager for OhioFirst.Net. “After the first round of outreach, we decided that we needed a strategy that was going to fit hand and glove with the time frame that FirstNet put out, so that we could keep our audiences interested.”
Castle said it was her son’s love of video games that sparked the idea. “There are a lot of new learning tools out there, one of which is video games,” Castle said. “I got to thinking about it and I thought, wow! What a great idea.”
The video game is meant to show what can be possible when you change the way a user interacts with the data that firefighters already have today by making that data digital and connected.
The PC-based video game applies a real world scenario - a rescue during a structural fire - in two scenes. In the first scene, the player uses current technology to complete the rescue. In the second scene, the player completes the rescue with enhanced situational awareness tools that will be made possible through FirstNet’s public safety broadband.
The game takes pieces of traditional information, like maps and building blueprints, and adds them to the heads up display of the video game. For example, the game shows the user’s location on a map of the burning building within the player’s field of view or superimposes instructions inside of the player’s ‘helmet’.
“We tried to think about what would be unique, what would be different and what would be compelling for people that are actually going to use this network to get engaged with the FirstNet process,” Castle said.
Key to building the video game was having a team member already on board with the right skill sets. “I have had a lot of states call me and ask me about this,” Castle said. “It is not like just producing a video or creating a power point. It really requires a specialized skill set.”
Initially, the video game will be used for demonstrations at conferences and trade shows. If the game resonates with audiences, OhioFirst.Net may look to add different scenarios and use cases - or even move it to other platforms for use on mobile devices or virtual head sets.
Following the demonstration at APCO next week, the video game will be available for download on the state’s website.
For more information on FirstNet’s current consultation efforts, visit the FirstNet Consultation page.
