Emergency preparedness training is under increasing pressure to adapt to rapidly evolving operational realities. Responders must be equipped to manage a wide spectrum of events, including natural hazards, technological accidents, and war-related crises. Civilians likewise need stronger capabilities to support themselves and others, particularly in remote, geographically dispersed, and underserved communities where access to training, emergency services, and preparedness resources is limited.
Emerging technologies, such as drones, ground robots, mixed reality (XR), AI-driven decision-support systems, and advanced sensing tools, are becoming integral to modern response operations. To leverage these technologies effectively, both responders and citizens require new forms of competence and training. XR offers unique advantages in this regard: it enables distributed, location-independent, realistic, and repeatable training experiences, making it especially valuable for communities where traditional training is difficult to deliver consistently.
Despite this promise, organizations and civilians face challenges in selecting appropriate technologies, aligning them with pedagogical and operational needs, and maintaining them over time. These barriers can limit the practical impact and sustained value of immersive tools.
This track invites research that examines how XR and related sensory technologies can address training needs in emergency preparedness. We welcome contributions that explore how new technologies can accelerate learning, enhance competence and capacity, and strengthen preparedness across civil protection, emergency management, and crisis response organizations. Reflecting the conference’s focus on supporting First Nations and remote communities, the track particularly encourages submissions that demonstrate how new technologies can expand training accessibility and bolster response capabilities in geographically dispersed settings. Contributions addressing the broader role of immersive technologies in crisis management, emergency preparedness, and community resilience worldwide are equally welcome.
Topics of Interest
This track examines how emerging technologies, particularly XR, can be conceptualized, applied, evaluated, and integrated into emergency-preparedness training to strengthen crisis response and civil protection. We welcome contributions addressing conceptual foundations, practical applications, empirical evidence, and organizational implementation of XR and related technologies.
1. Conceptualization: Foundations of Technology-Supported Preparedness Learning
- Pedagogical foundations: Experiential learning, situated cognition, immersive presence, and embodied interaction in crisis and disaster training
- Civilian preparedness and community resilience: Technologies that strengthen self-reliance, mutual aid, and collaboration with responders, including in remote or underserved communities
- Conceptual frameworks and lessons learned: Theoretical models, design principles, and insights guiding technology-supported preparedness training
2. Applications in Evolving Operational Contexts
- Training for emerging response technologies: Preparing responders and civilians to work with drones, robots, and AI-driven decision-support systems
- Multi-agency and cross-border preparedness: Strengthening interoperability, communication, and shared situational awareness across sectors and jurisdictions
- Preparedness in remote and Indigenous communities: Applying immersive and digital tools to support training where conventional access is limited
3. Evaluation and Evidence
- Comparative studies of training modalities: Benchmarking XR, live exercises, tabletop simulations, and media-based training
- Assessment and validation of competence: Measuring individual and team performance, aligned with established competence frameworks
- Datasets and empirical evidence: Developing and using datasets, performance logs, sensor data, and behavioural traces for reproducible evaluation and learning
4. Implementation and Technology Acceptance
- Scalability and accessibility: Reducing costs, expanding reach, and supporting continuous competence development
- Ethical, organizational, and policy perspectives: Trust, safety, equity, and integration into curricula, standards, and preparedness strategies
- Implementation and effective use: Case studies, lessons learned, and strategies for adoption and sustained organizational use
- Accessibility and inclusion: Designing and evaluating immersive technologies for diverse populations, including remote, rural, and Indigenous communities
Track Chairs
| Role | Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corresponding Chair | Cecilia Hammar Wijkmark | University of Skövde, Sweden | cecilia.hammar.wijkmark@his.se |
| Co-chair | Ilona Heldal | Western Norway University of Applied Sciences | Ilona.heldal@hvl.no |