The Virginia county’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management worked with George Mason University researchers to develop AI-enhanced video games for skills building.

Emergency response management is a high-stakes space. Each decision can mean life or death, which makes training and preparing for these scenarios critical.

Over the course of a year, a three-person team from George Mason University worked to improve preparedness via AI-powered games for the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management in Arlington, Virginia.

Using an iterative process and feedback from Arlington County department members, the team created two interactive games, called Go-Repair and Go-Rescue, which simulated infrastructure maintenance, resource allocation and evacuations. The dynamic learning environment provided utility managers and volunteers with a wider scope and more flexibility than traditional training methods.