EDGE (Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment): virtual training

The Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment, known as EDGE, was developed by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate with the US Army Research Laboratory's Simulation and Training Technology Center. The first environment, released in June 2017, used a high-rise hotel as its backdrop for first responders, who could work through active shooter, arson, hostage negotiation and bomb threat incidents.

A school environment followed, built with first responder and education groups including the Educator's School Safety Network. It lets school personnel and law enforcement train separately or together, to improve communication, coordination and response skills before an incident happens.

EDGE runs on a laptop or desktop computer and is built on the Unreal gaming engine, yet it is not a single-player game with scripted scenarios. It uses little artificial intelligence and does not prescribe tactics, so staff build training plans around their own procedures.

Players control avatars of their real-life roles, such as teachers, administrators and school resource officers, with further avatars for students, suspects and law enforcement. Voice and command functions let participants talk and give orders during a live exercise, and an after-action review lets trainers replay the session. DHS describes EDGE as a supplement to live exercises, not a substitute for them, and names scenarios from bomb threats and arson to parental custody disputes. Cole Engineering Services, Inc. was the distribution point, vetting each account request and running a help desk.

A DHS page on EDGE still describes the platform and the hotel and school environments as free to vetted organizations, but it carries a notice that it may contain outdated information that does not reflect current programs.

The distributor's website, cesiedgetraining.com, loads, though browsers show a security warning for it. Its home page says the EDGE FRS game servers will be coming down on July 15 and asks visitors to get in touch about offline training. The notice gives no year. The page also still offers account requests for first responders and school administrators and describes a school-based multi-player environment for up to 20 trainees and instructors per exercise. With the servers' shutdown announced and the date unclear, EDGE is listed as unconfirmed.