I graduated with an AA and then a BA from the Concordia University system. The schools I attended were in Wisconsin and Illinois. Back then these were very liberal arts-oriented schools. Can you say, Greek, Latin and German for college courses! It is very hard to hide in a Latin class when there are only six of you there with the professor. "Would you translate, Mr. Holdeman?"
Anyway, back to the simulator. Given my history and the history of the Concordia system, I was surprised to read about the simulator. I checked in with a Portland emergency manager and found out that the price for six people playing in a command post environment and another 17 spaces for people to function in an emergency operations center for one-day of training is $3,500. Not many organizations have that kind of money laying around anymore. Maybe back in the heyday of homeland security grants this level and cost of training might have been affordable, but today it is pricey.
The simulator is, however, another example of technology creeping ever more deeply into emergency management. Like the rest of technology, we are not used to needing to pay for the operational costs or the replacement cost.
My old Emergency Coordination Center at King County needs a technology freshening up, with the center now being 11 years old. I know Seattle's Office of Emergency Management is looking to update its technology package too.
Start talking to your budget office and educating them on your technology needs. White boards and markers are not going to cut it in the 21st century!
This blog post was updated on 8/19/14 with new information on the cost and number of people who can be trained. I also found out that the simulation center will officially open later this fall.
