Drome. With virtual reality, middle school students are trained in actions that save lives

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This is what we call 2.0 training! While only 20% of French people are trained in first aid – compared to nearly 80% in certain European countries – the Department of the Drômeas a leader in human solidarity and the community in charge of middle schools, set up this year an educational action using virtual reality to train 4th grade middle school students in these simple actions that save lives.

“With a single gesture”, a Drôme company in charge

The president of the Departmental Council of the Drôme and president of Departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS)Marie-Pierre Mouton, presented this novelty, Tuesday November 12during a training session at Marcelle-Rivier college of Beaumont-lès-Valence, town located in the agglomeration of Valence.

The No. 1 of the Department was accompanied by the academic director of the National Education Services, Pascal Clément, the president of the Departmental Union of Firefighters (UDSP), Patrick Roche, and Emmanuel Bourcet, president of the business With a single gesture.

The Department is strongly committed to the education and safety of Drôme residents. Faced with a public health problem, we wanted to initiate a training process from middle school. As president of the Department and president of the SDIS, I am delighted with the implementation of this training. In addition to saving lives, I hope that it will inspire vocations to join schools for young firefighters. This new educational action is truly at the crossroads of our education and solidarity policies.

To train the greatest number of students, the Department has entered into contracts with society with a single gesture. Created in 2018, this Drôme company markets a solution using virtual reality for first aid training.

UDSP firefighters present at each training

For this educational action aimed at 4th grade students, the initial training was adapted to the world of middle school students: change of scenery, size of elements in relation to the size of adolescents, etc.

The educational action lasts 1 hour 30 minutes as a whole class. It is carried out by the company D’un single gesture in collaboration with the firefighters of the Departmental Union of Firefighters of Drôme :

• 40 minutes of immersive practice with a virtual reality headset and a connected mannequin;
• 40 minutes of discussions with trainers: correction of gestures and postures, answers to questions, recommendations;
• 10 minutes of presentation of the Young Firefighters systems with the broadcast of a video produced by the Departmental Youth Council.

Better memorization thanks to virtual reality

During the session, the middle school students learn to protect the victim, alert emergency services, react in the event of a terrorist attack, of hemorrhage or facing a suffocationpractice a cardiac massage and use a defibrillator.

The use of virtual reality allow immersion in very realistic situations. Voluntarily provoked stressful situations which force concentration and promote memorization thanks to the use of emotional memory.

At the end of the training, a certificate, a memo of lifesaving actions and a “citizen rescuer” card are given to the participants.

4,000 students trained in 2024-2025

This educational action is offered at the start of the school year to all public and private Drôme establishments. If the establishment wishes to benefit from it, all 4th grade classes in the college must be trained.

With 29 establishments (23 public and 6 private) volunteers, nearly 4,000 students will be trained during the 2024-2025 school year. This educational action represents a budget of 200 000 € this year, entirely supported by the Department.

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