FireSim™ Fire Truck Driving Simulator by Acron Aviation
Vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of on-duty firefighter deaths in the United States. With roughly 30,000 fire truck crashes occurring each year and more than 18,000 collisions of emergency fire vehicles resulting in hundreds of injuries annually, the risks associated with emergency vehicle operation are not theoretical. They are a daily reality for fire departments across the country.
The challenge is that the skills required to drive a 40-ton fire engine through traffic at high speed, navigate intersections against red lights, and position a rig safely on scene cannot be adequately taught in a classroom. They require repetition behind the wheel, in real conditions, with real consequences for mistakes. Until now, the only way to get that practice was to put a driver in a real truck on a real road.
The FireSim™ fire truck driving simulator from Acron Aviation changes that. It gives firefighters and first responders the hands-on, realistic driving experience they need to develop critical skills and build muscle memory, in a safe, controlled, risk-free environment where mistakes become learning opportunities rather than accidents.
Klein Educational supplies the FireSim™ simulator to fire departments, public safety training programs, and educational institutions across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska. We help programs get the right system configured and running.
What is the FireSim™ simulator?
The FireSim™ is a high-fidelity fire truck driving simulator developed by Acron Aviation's Driver Training Solutions division. It provides hands-on experiential training for first responders by replicating the driving compartment of an emergency vehicle in a compact, ergonomic simulator design that accurately models the physical dynamics of operating a real fire engine.
The simulator uses a faithful replica cab with a driver's seat, steering wheel with force feedback, air brake pedal, and siren and horn controls, so the physical environment feels immediately familiar to firefighters. The visual system projects an immersive wide-field view of the road environment, allowing trainees to practice scanning mirrors, maintaining situational awareness, and responding to dynamic hazards just as they would in a real truck. The physics engine models the weight and handling characteristics of a fire engine, including slower braking distances, wide turning radius, and the effect of water surge in a tanker, so every aspect of the driving experience reflects the real vehicle's behavior.
An Instructor Operator Station gives training supervisors full control over scenarios, difficulty settings, traffic levels, weather conditions, road surfaces, and lighting, allowing training to be customized for individual drivers and consistently applied across an entire department. Training scenarios are recorded in full with Replay Studio™, which allows instructors to analyze driver performance, replay specific moments, and provide structured after-action reviews that reinforce proper responses and identify areas for improvement.
What drivers and trainees learn
The FireSim™ curriculum covers the full range of emergency vehicle operation skills that fire departments need their drivers to master:
Decision driving and critical decision-making under emergency conditions
Defensive driving with lights and sirens active
Navigating intersections against red lights safely
Close quarters maneuvering in confined spaces
Lane changes and hazard anticipation at speed
Rollover prevention and vehicle stability management
Responding to pedestrians, distracted drivers, and non-yielding vehicles
Scene arrival staging and apparatus positioning
Night driving, fog driving, and adverse weather operation
Winter driving and slippery surface control
Fatigue management and fatigue-related hazard recognition
Fuel management and efficient driving techniques
Emergency maneuvers and collision avoidance techniques
Pre-trip inspections and vehicle readiness
Multitasking while communicating and navigating simultaneously
The simulator supports training across multiple vehicle types including various fire truck apparatus, first responder vehicles, and EMT vehicles, with an optional interchangeable driving station for an E350 ambulance for departments that need to train both fire and EMS drivers on the same platform.
After action reviews and performance assessment
One of the most valuable features of the FireSim™ platform is its structured approach to performance assessment and after-action review. Every training session is recorded, giving instructors the ability to replay specific driving moments, highlight decision points, and provide concrete, objective feedback tied to actual performance rather than instructor recollection.
The Instructor Operator Station includes grading features that ensure consistent training standards across all drivers and all sessions. Objective performance data gives departments the ability to identify specific skill gaps for each driver, track improvement over time, screen and qualify new hires based on demonstrated driving competency, and document compliance with training requirements.
This combination of realistic scenario training and structured assessment makes the FireSim™ a complete driver training program, not just a simulator.
The case for simulator training
The statistics behind emergency vehicle crashes make a compelling case for simulator-based driver training. In 2021 alone there were 18,775 collisions of emergency fire vehicles, resulting in 600 injuries and 16 firefighter deaths due to vehicle-related incidents. Beyond the human cost, a single major crash involving a pumper rollover or collision with civilian vehicles can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in vehicle damage and legal costs.
Departments that have implemented the FireSim™ have reported significant reductions in preventable accidents and reduced severity of the accidents that do occur. Training on the simulator rather than in a real truck also eliminates the fuel costs, vehicle wear, maintenance, and service downtime associated with putting fleet vehicles into driver training rotations. Over time those savings contribute meaningfully to a department's operational budget.
The FireSim™ has been awarded a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, recognizing its standing as a high-quality public safety training solution that meets or exceeds requirements for public agency procurement, which simplifies the purchasing process for fire departments and government agencies.
How Klein Educational supports your program
Klein Educational works with fire departments, public safety training coordinators, and educational institutions from the first conversation through installation and beyond. That includes needs assessment, system configuration, facility planning, and staff training on the simulator platform.
We have direct access to the full FireSim™ system and Acron Aviation support infrastructure, which means faster service and deeper product knowledge for programs across our seven-state region.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FireSim™ simulator? The FireSim™ is a high-fidelity fire truck driving simulator from Acron Aviation that provides hands-on emergency vehicle driver training in a safe, risk-free environment. It accurately replicates the handling, weight, and dynamics of a real fire engine and supports a full range of emergency driving scenarios including intersection navigation, hazard avoidance, night driving, and adverse weather conditions.
How realistic is the FireSim™? The FireSim™ uses a replica cab with force feedback steering, air brake pedal, siren and horn controls, and an immersive wide-field visual system. The physics engine models the weight, turning radius, braking distance, and water surge characteristics of a real fire engine, making the driving experience closely representative of operating the actual vehicle.
What training scenarios does the FireSim™ support? The simulator supports a comprehensive range of scenarios including decision driving, defensive driving with lights and sirens, intersection navigation, close quarters maneuvering, rollover prevention, night and fog driving, winter driving, fatigue management, emergency maneuvers, collision avoidance, and pre-trip inspections. Difficulty, traffic levels, weather, and road conditions are all adjustable by the instructor.
Does the FireSim™ support after-action review? Yes. All training sessions are recorded using Replay Studio™, which allows instructors to replay specific moments, analyze driver decisions, and provide structured, objective feedback. The Instructor Operator Station also includes grading features for consistent performance assessment across all drivers.
What vehicle types can the FireSim™ simulate? The FireSim™ supports various fire truck apparatus and first responder vehicles, with an optional interchangeable driving station for an E350 ambulance, allowing departments to train both fire and EMS drivers on the same simulator platform.
Does the FireSim™ qualify for cooperative purchasing? Yes. The FireSim™ has been awarded a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, which simplifies procurement for fire departments, municipalities, and other public agencies.
Does Klein Educational help with setup and installation? Yes. Klein works with departments and programs from needs assessment through system configuration, facility planning, installation, and staff training. We guide the entire process so your program is set up correctly from day one.
What states does Klein Educational serve? We serve California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska.
Ready to Bring FireSim™ Training to Your Department or Program?
Whether you are equipping a fire department training facility or adding emergency vehicle simulation to a public safety education program, our team will help you find the right FireSim™ configuration for your needs and budget.