Success Story: XpertFire Training Delivery in St. Thomas and Elgin County
Delivered by XpertVR, with support from the Skills Development Fund
- Published: April 2, 2026
- Focus Area: Skill development for Dryden fightfighters.
An Introduction:
In early 2026, XpertVR delivered one of its largest Skills Development Fund-supported XpertFire training deployments to date, working alongside St. Thomas Fire and neighbouring departments across Elgin County. Over six days of training, 72 firefighters participated in immersive virtual reality scenarios designed to reflect real-world residential fireground operations.
Training was delivered over:
- 4 days in St. Thomas
- 2 days across Southwold, Rodney, and West Elgin
Each location focused on residential house scenarios, allowing firefighters to practice decision-making, communication, and coordinated interior operations in a safe, repeatable environment.
Leadership and Planning That Made Scale Possible
The delivery was planned closely with St. Thomas Fire’s Chief of Training, Brad Stewart, who worked with the XpertVR team to design a schedule that respected operational realities. Firefighters trained in small groups of 4–8, rotating through 2–3 hour sessions, with built-in flexibility for emergency calls and breaks. This structure allowed the team to train up to 24 firefighters per day without disrupting service coverage.
XpertVR was hosted primarily in St. Thomas Fire’s training room. On days when leadership meetings were underway, the department seamlessly rearranged space, welcoming the team into kitchens, dining areas, and lounge spaces. The message was clear. This training mattered.
Regional Collaboration In Action
Beyond St. Thomas, the delivery brought together firefighters from Southwold, Rodney, and West Elgin, reinforcing regional collaboration. Departments coordinated to select central halls and stations where crews could gather, train, and debrief together.
Key regional partners included:
- Southwold Fire
- Rodney Fire
- West Elgin Fire
Despite moving between locations, setup was efficient and consistent. Each site provided ample space for multi-headset VR deployment, instructor observation, and group discussion.
Training Focused on the Reality of the Job
All scenarios were built around full residential responses. Firefighters practiced:
- Interior search and suppression
- Crew movement and coordination
- Radio communication and discipline
- Incident Command communication and delegation
Rather than isolating individual skills, every scenario required firefighters to think holistically. What to communicate. When to act. How to adjust when conditions changed.
Firefighters also appreciated the ability to train throughout the day, fitting sessions between calls and other duties instead of committing entire days to classroom training.
From Curiosity to Commitment
Initial curiosity about VR quickly turned into engagement and enthusiasm. Firefighters became comfortable with the technology within a couple of scenarios and began focusing on tactics rather than controls. Crews discussed mistakes openly during debriefs and immediately re-ran scenarios to apply lessons learned.
The training attracted wider attention when CTV London covered the delivery, helping share the story of how immersive technology is supporting firefighter readiness without replacing hands-on training.
CTV Coverage:
Virtual reality simulator helps firefighters train in real-life scenarios without physical taxation: CTV News VR Sims News Reports
Lasting Impact and Next Steps
Following the delivery, St. Thomas and regional partners continue to receive free access to XpertFire software through the Skills Development Fund. XpertVR is supporting departments as they explore hardware acquisition so training can continue monthly, year-round.
Firefighters and leadership alike see VR as a way to:
- Train on quieter days without setup time
- Stay sharp between live burns
- Prepare for rare or complex scenarios
- Improve communication before it matters most
Improves understanding of processes.
Engagement and enthusiasm.
Learning with real-life scenarios.
Low cost entry to training.
A Model for Province-Wide Delivery
The St. Thomas and Elgin County deployment shows how immersive training can scale when leadership, regional cooperation, and provincial support align. With flexible scheduling, welcoming hosts, and realistic scenarios, XpertFire became part of the daily rhythm of the fire service rather than a special event.
Support from the Skills Development Fund made this training possible. The result was a practical, firefighter-driven experience designed to strengthen readiness across departments, large and small.