Graduate students upgrade EMT training program for Alexandria Fire Department
Casey Munk ’25, M.Eng ’26 earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, a discipline that challenges students to bridge the gap between traditional medicine and emerging technology. Rather than heading directly into the workforce, Munk chose to further expand her expertise with an accelerated Master of Engineering in computer science through Virginia Tech’s 4+1 program in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
That decision helped clarify her professional goals.
“This program has made me realize I want to focus my career on both biomedical engineering and computer science, specifically looking at data analytics and machine learning,” she said.
A key part of that realization stemmed from her spring project-based learning experience. As she reviewed the list of opportunities available for the semester, one project immediately stood out as a perfect fit.
The Alexandria Fire Department, partnering with the Master of Engineering program for the first time, sought out graduate students to help upgrade its EMT training system with an experience that was more interactive and less reliant on manual oversight.
“Coming into the computer science department, I wasn’t expecting to find opportunities that were health and medical related, which aligns with my career aspirations,” Munk said. “I was super excited about the fire department project and knew I had to jump on it.”
Munk joined one of three student teams tasked with advancing the EMT training simulator housed at Alexandria Fire Department (AFD) Station 210.
“We’ve had our immersive simulation lab for several years and have slowly been trying to upgrade the technology,” said Battalion Chief Anthony Kelly of the Alexandria Fire Department’s Training Division. The facility is one of only a few simulation labs of its kind in the region.
“When I saw that Virginia Tech had the new campus here in Alexandria and that you specialize in human-computer integration, I reached out,” said Kelly, who joined colleagues Joseph Marfori and Battalion Chief Sokthear Van as team mentors.
“Our partner-led projects are meant to give student teams the freedom to evaluate the problem at hand, and use technology to create solutions,” said Melissa Cameron, assistant collegiate professor and director of experiential learning for the Institute for Advanced Computing. “Working with the Alexandria Fire Department gave these teams the chance to make a meaningful impact in the community, and that’s an incredibly valuable experience. We’re thankful to the entire AFD team and the City of Alexandria for their partnership.”
The first assignment for Munk and her teammates Tatiana Monteiro, Martha-Patience Taah, Hsiang-Jou Chuang, and Clarence Braimah? Visit Station 210 and experience the simulator firsthand.
Through observations of live training sessions and discussions with their mentors, the team quickly recognized the limitations of the current lab. The medical mannequin offered limited responsiveness while the simulations depended heavily on instructors to manually control changes in a patient's condition. The result was a training experience that often felt interrupted and disjointed for both trainees and instructors.
“We are looking for a more realistic training system. The more realistic the system is, the better for both our current and future members,” said EMS Capt. Amy Lusby, who runs a department of more than 300.
A simulation might never match the urgency of responding to a patient’s home in an emergency, but the Virginia Tech team aimed to come as close as possible through technology.
Toward reality: Incorporating a 3D patient avatar
To improve this experience, the students created an adaptive scenario engine that combines real-time technology with a responsive 3D patient avatar. As trainees interact with the patient/avatar on screen, the system automatically updates the patient’s condition and vitals, appearance, and reactions based on what is happening in the scenario.
“Building an avatar from scratch is certainly something that set this group apart,” said Kelly.
Tatiana Monteiro ’24, M.Eng ’26 focused on the visual aspects of the product.
“The animation sequence was the hardest,” she said about her role integrating animation with coding. “I learned quickly how to communicate my progress to my team, ask a lot of questions, and test it. Testing is very important in working with an outside partner.”
Voice commands and automated state management also reduce the need for instructors to manually control the simulation, allowing them to focus more on observing and evaluating trainee performance.
“I love using tech and AI [artificial intelligence] to improve our community, whether its medical or to bridge the gap between people who can access technology versus people who can’t. That’s where I feel like I shine the best,” said Monteiro.
A demonstration in the field
On the last day of the spring semester, the team was set for the final live test: a demonstration at the Alexandria Fire Department’s simulation lab. In attendance were EMS and fire department leaders, including their mentors, Lusby, Lt. Lindsay Loper, and Community Risk Battalion Chief Michael Sharp.
The simulation was a basic life scenario (BLS) involving a stroke victim. The students walked through how a trainee would interact with the patient/avatar on the screen. The system displayed a live blood glucose level and vitals, and the avatar answered questions similiara to a patient who had experienced a stroke.
“You can go through all the schooling you want to in this job, but nothing beats experience. EMT’s may go three years between seeing a stroke patient [in the field]. Now, [with this technology], we’re going to be able to let trainees run a stroke patient and see what is very realistic for something that’s not real and actually get an experience. And that’s phenomenal,” said Sharp.
Following the demo and a Q&A, the trainees used the students’ new technology within the fire department’s simulator.
"Seeing her complete the entire scenario, and having everything work out as expected, was just the culmination of everything. That was the most fulfilling part of the project," said Clarence Braimah ’25, M.Eng ’26.
On May 8, Alexandria Fire Department Team One joined 34 other teams and more than 160 Master of Engineering students to showcase their project at the Institute of Advanced Computing spring symposium. See the team’s final presentation.
Munk recently accepted a position as a machine learning engineer at Booz Allen in San Diego, and is preparing to start this summer.
“Getting to work hands-on with an actual client in the real world. It made our work real. It made it feel impactful,” she said.
