WTCC Public Safety Simulation and Drone Training Facility

As part of an initiative to shed traditional siloes to promote dynamic interdisciplinary engagement, meaningful student-faculty-community interaction, and innovation that responds to and anticipates emerging trends in education, industry and society, this public safety simulation training facility is a unique building in a traditional academic campus setting.

The new facility is the first student-occupied facility on Wake Tech Community College’s Eastern Wake 4.0 Campus. Providing cross-disciplined first responder training, it will also lead the state in training educational institutions, state and local agencies on threat response. With a 18,000-SF indoor simulation village for first responder real-life scenarios and de-escalation training, this environment will support fire trucks, ambulances and police cars with sidewalks. 10+ simulated PODs encompass two-stories and emulate bank and retail spaces, school environment, a two-story townhome, hotel with bar and restaurant. There is also a two-story corrections pod facilitates training scenarios for public safety and detention personnel. A fully immersive, 3D virtual reality lab provides for de-escalation, force, mental illness and human judgement training scenarios.

Aimed at building a state-of-the-art facility for robotic development and testing that places demonstration space adjacent to development environments, the space also allows the school to integrate new program capabilities that will shape their drone/robotic training certificate program. This environment will support public safety careers and expand to integrate multiple industry capabilities, with indoor and outdoor robotic/drone training & fabrication capabilities. The stationary, mobile, and aerial robotic facility will have capabilities for testing movable systems, engaging both robot competitions and supporting industry’s testing needs.

The facility also will provide exterior program support spaces like a training/rappelling tower, driving test pad, and screened pavilion for training scenarios.