The Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE) is a free virtual training platform that first responders, and now education institutions, can use to plan for a coordinated response to critical incidents. Built on the Unreal gaming engine, EDGE is not a traditional video game with pre-programmed respond-and-react scenarios. Rather, EDGE is one tool in a comprehensive preparedness toolbox, complementing and honing training protocols already in place in communities nationwide.
Two EDGE training environments, one with a hotel as the backdrop and the other featuring a school, are currently available at no cost to vetted organizations.
EDGE is a game-based software training application that emphasizes flexibility and ease-of-use. Because budgets often limit the frequency of live training exercises, EDGE offers the perfect way to augment and reinforce training plans without the cost of a full-scale live exercise.
EDGE provides a safe environment in which first responders and educators role-play complex scenarios, improving and reinforcing coordination, communication and critical decision-making skills. EDGE is designed principally for cross-disciplinary training, enabling people from various functions to work together and understand each other’s protocols and procedures. Users control avatars representing their real-life role—law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, teachers, administrators, school resource officers and more—to execute a number of training scenarios of their own creation. EDGE can be used to train for anything from potential bomb threats to arson to parental custody disputes to an active shooter incident.
EDGE is intended to be a group tool where multiple trainees can assume any of the available roles in order to execute the desired course of training. EDGE is not a training course in the traditional sense, but rather it is a vehicle for instructors to train staff in a safe environment, where scenarios can be changed or repeated as many times as necessary to provide a wide range of training possibilities. EDGE also has an after-action review capability where training sessions can be replayed from the perspective of anyone in the training session with full pause, rewind and fast-forward controls to highlight key training points.
The EDGE hotel environment is available free of charge to all first responder organizations, including:
- Federal, state, local, tribal or territorial government law enforcement organizations
- Federal, state, local, tribal or territorial government or volunteer firefighting organizations
- Federal, state, local, tribal or territorial government or validated for-profit emergency medical services organizations
- Federal, state, local, tribal or territorial government emergency management organizations
The EDGE school environment is available free of charge to the above mentioned first responder organizations, as well as the following education stakeholders:
- Accredited Public or private elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities and technical/career institutions for use in staff training
Please note that all requests to obtain EDGE access should be submitted by the organization’s administrative office.
If EDGE access is desired for coursework or inclusion in an academic curriculum for students, or if organizations are interested in pursuing commercial EDGE applications, then there may be associated costs. Please contact sales@cesiedgetraining.com
for additional information.
Visit the EDGE help desk at www.cesiedgetraining.com to receive more information about obtaining EDGE access and setting up a user account. You can also call 877-EDGE-011 (877-334-3011, select “3”) to reach the EDGE help desk.
Is EDGE a video game?
Though EDGE is built on the Unreal 3 (hotel) and Unreal 4 (school) gaming engines, it is not a traditional video game with pre-programmed response/react scenarios. In fact, there is very little artificial intelligence programmed into each training environment representing some civilians and students. The remaining avatars—including suspects—are all fully controlled by human actions.
Does EDGE replace the need for live training exercises or preventative efforts?
EDGE is one tool in a comprehensive planning and prevention toolbox and does not replace the need for additional training, whether live exercises or classroom instruction. EDGE is meant to complement and reinforce existing preparedness efforts, and it is intended to foster communication and collaboration amongst all first response and education stakeholders.
What kind of training scenarios can EDGE be used for?
Agencies interested in using EDGE as a training tool are strongly encouraged to have training plans and identified subject matter expert instructors in place prior to requesting access. EDGE can be used to execute a number of training scenarios in each environment, from active shooter incidents to arson, bomb threats, hostage negotiation, parental or student disputes, and more. Because it is user-driven, EDGE reflects the policies and procedures already in place in response agencies and school districts across the country.
Is training available to get started using EDGE?
Yes. Contact the EDGE help desk at www.cesiedgetraining.com; moving forward, additional EDGE training resources will be posted there, as well as on this site.
How many people can train with EDGE at one time?
The upper limit will vary depending on internet bandwidth, but to-date EDGE has been tested with nearly 50 trainees in the environment at one time with no lag.
Is EDGE available to the general public?
EDGE access is only granted to fully vetted first response and educational institutions as listed under the “Who can access and train with EDGE?” section above.
Is EDGE available to companies for workplace preparedness training?
EDGE can be used by commercial training organizations and other corporate entities for a fee. Please contact www.cesiedgetraining.com for further information.
Is EDGE available outside of the U.S.?
Yes, with some restrictions. Please contact www.cesiedgetraining.com for further information.
What are the technical requirements for using EDGE?
School Environment Minimum:
- Processor: Fourth-generation (4000-series) Intel Core i5
- Memory: 8GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or equivalent
- Storage: 3GB free hard drive space (Note: After-action review replays require additional free hard drive space)
- Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit) or Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Mouse
- Stereo headphones with microphone (for 3D sound)
School Environment Recommended:
- Processor: Sixth-generation (6000-series) Intel Core i7 or higher
- Memory: 8+ GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1070 (or equivalent) or higher
- Storage: Solid State Drive (SSD) or Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) hard drive with 3GB free hard drive space (Note: After-action review replays require additional free hard drive space)
- Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit) or Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Mouse
- Stereo headphones with microphone (for 3D sound)
Hotel Environment Minimum:
- Processor: Intel I5 2XXX (2nd generation)
- Memory: 8GB Memory
- Video Card: NVidia GEFORCE GTX 460 1024MB
- Hard Drive: 4 GB available Hard Drive Space
- Operating System: Windows 7 Home or Professional
- Additional Software Required and included:
- .NET Framework Redistributable 4.6
- Mouse
- Stereo headphones with microphone (for 3D sound)
Hotel Environment Recommended:
- Processor: Intel® Core™i7-3930K 3.20GHz
- Memory: 16.0 GB
- Video Card: GeForce GTX 680 or greater
EDGE Hotel Environment
- Blog: Tune in to S&T’s Tech Talk on Free First Responder Training
- Snapshot: The Cutting EDGE: New Virtual Training Prepares First Responders for Active Shooter Incidents
- Press Release: Virtual Training for Active Shooter Incidents Now Available to First Responders
- Fact Sheet: EDGE Virtual Training: Simulation Tool for First Responders
- Photos: EDGE Hotel Environment Photo Gallery
- Video: S&T Tech Talk: EDGE Virtual Training
- Video: EDGE Virtual Training Revisited
EDGE School Environment
- Snapshot: 5 Things You Probably Don’t Know about S&T’s EDGE Virtual Training
- Blog: Ensuring the Security and Resiliency of Our Schools
- Press Release: New Virtual Training Gives First Responders and Educators an ‘EDGE’ on School
- Fact Sheet: EDGE Virtual Training: Simulation Tool for School Safety
- Photos: EDGE School Environment Photo Gallery
- Video: EDGE Virtual Training (School Environment)