Clair Mowbray, director at the Fire Service College, discusses the new AI-powered Immersive Skills Lab and its impact on firefighter training and decision-making 

In January, 2025 HRH The Princess Royal officially opened a new Immersive Skills Lab at Capita’s Fire Service College (FSC) as part of the College’s 50^th anniversary celebrations. The AI-powered training suite has been designed to enhance firefighter training through hyper-realistic virtual scenarios, enabling firefighters to train in complex fire situations with full freedom of movement in a controlled, risk-free environment.  

To be used to complement live training with real fires, which will remain pivotal to training at the College, the AI-driven Lab provides a safe and environmentally friendly way to develop critical decision-making and operational skills. 

By integrating technology with hands-on experience, the FSC aims to enhance firefighter preparedness while aligning with broader national resilience strategies.

Clair Mowbray

The Immersive Skills Lab represents a step towards the future of fire service training, offering scalable and adaptable solutions that could extend to other emergency response disciplines.  

International Fire and Safety Journal editor Iain Hoey spoke with Clair Mowbray, director at the FSC, about the lab’s capabilities, the role of AI in training and what this means for the next generation of emergency responders. 

Can you introduce yourself and your role at the Fire Service College? 

My name is Clair Mowbray. I joined the College in 2021 as director of learning and transformation before being made director of establishment in 2024. For fifty years, the 300-acre site in Moreton-in-Marsh has served as the central fire training establishment in the UK, from those in junior ranks positions to Chief Fire Officers, as well as supporting wider emergency services and first responders across the UK and internationally.  

Capita’s long-term strategic vision for the FSC is for the site to expand its focus to support national exercising, address civil preparedness and support innovation. I am privileged to lead the College at such a pivotal time.  

What led to the creation of the AI-powered Immersive Skills Lab? 

The Immersive Skills Lab was created to enhance the learning experience while addressing safety, environmental and logistical challenges of live fire exercises. Traditional training is resource-intensive and can be hazardous. This is coupled with research showing that blending simulated learning environments into practical training can aid someone in understanding and knowledge 40% faster than traditional methods of learning.  

AI-driven simulations provide realistic, high-pressure scenarios in a risk-free setting. They allow firefighters to practice decision-making, adapt to unpredictable conditions and exercise complex incidents.

Clair Mowbray

The Lab also ensures consistent, scalable learning accessible to fire services worldwide. By reducing the environmental impact of live burns, the technology provides a sustainable, cost-effective solution that complements real-world training while improving situational awareness and emergency response capabilities.  

How does the lab function and what technologies are integrated into the system? 

The Lab uses virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI) and motion-tracking to create hyper-realistic fire scenarios. Firefighters wear VR headsets, moving freely in a simulated environment. AI-driven fire modelling ensures realistic flame, smoke and heat behaviour. Haptic feedback enhances the experience, mimicking heat and resistance. Sensors track movements, allowing interaction with virtual tools.  

AI adapts scenarios based on trainee actions, ensuring dynamic learning. Performance data is analysed for feedback, improving decision-making and response times. This integration provides an immersive, adaptable training experience, preparing firefighters for real-world emergencies in a controlled, risk-free setting. 

How does AI improve firefighter training over traditional exercises? 

AI enhances the learning experience by providing dynamic, realistic simulations without the risks of live fire exercises. Unlike physical training, AI-driven scenarios can adapt in real-time, testing decision-making under evolving conditions.

It allows for repeated practice of complex incidents, such as industrial fires or hazardous material spills, which are difficult to recreate safely.  

Clair Mowbray

AI also enables detailed performance analysis, offering personalised feedback. Additionally, it is environmentally sustainable, reducing carbon emissions from live burns. By integrating AI with traditional methods, firefighters gain experience in both practical skills and cognitive decision-making, ensuring better preparedness for real-life emergencies. 

What scenarios can the Lab simulate, and how realistic are they? 

The Immersive Skills Lab simulates diverse incidents, including aviation fires, road traffic accidents, industrial blazes, high-rise rescues and chemical spills. AI-driven fire modelling ensures realistic flame spread, ventilation effects and structural hazards. Variables such as wind changes, flashovers and collapses challenge firefighters to adapt. Real-life case studies can be recreated, allowing learners to analyse past incidents and test response strategies.  

The interactive environment ensures each scenario is unique, promoting continuous learning. This approach enables firefighters to experience high-risk situations safely, refining their skills in decision-making, teamwork and emergency response before facing real-world emergencies. 

How does this technology improve decision-making in emergencies? 

The AI-powered lab enhances preparedness by exposing firefighters to complex, high-risk scenarios in a safe environment. AI dynamically adjusts incidents based on learners actions, requiring quick decision-making and adaptability. Real-time performance tracking identifies strengths and areas for improvement.

Firefighters develop situational awareness, risk assessment skills and teamwork strategies without real-world consequences.  

Clair Mowbray

By practising diverse scenarios repeatedly, they build confidence and refine critical thinking under pressure. This ensures they are better prepared for unpredictable emergencies, improving response efficiency and safety in real-life operations while reducing training risks and environmental impact.  

What feedback have you received from firefighters and trainers who have used the Lab? 

The AI-simulated environment has received positive endorsement from a wide range of learners.  It has enabled them to practice outside of teaching time to become confident in what they need to do.  Blending teaching technologies into firefighter training is still maturing, but this Immersive Skills Lab has enables us to support different clients in considering its use and supporting them to blend AI simulation into their training programmes.  We support by providing experience, teaching capability and support to develop scenarios to meet our customer’s needs. 

What are the next steps for expanding or refining the use of AI in firefighter training? 

The next steps may include expanding AI capabilities to create even more complex, multi-agency training scenarios, providing simulated exercising, integrating additional environmental factors and emergency variables. Enhancements in haptic feedback and biometric tracking could further improve realism.  

Future developments may involve AI-driven personalised learning pathways, where learning adapts to individual performance. Expanding remote accessibility will allow more fire services worldwide to benefit from AI-powered training. Additionally, integrating AI simulations into blended learning programmes alongside live fire exercises will create a comprehensive, flexible training model that continually evolves with firefighting challenges and technological advancements. 

This article was originally published in the April 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.