Emergency simulator trains first responders

What: Incident Tactics, at www.incidenttactics.com

Who: John Mitchell, president and chief executive

What it does: The Mountlake Terrace company has developed a series of Web-based simulations that aim to put paramedics, school officials and other first responders into realistic emergency scenarios.

Employees: 18, including eight part-time

How it works: Think about what a flight simulator does for pilots. The company's programs attempt to immerse a user into a situation. The simulations take between 20 to 45 minutes and play video and audio clips while asking the user to make decisions.

For example: A viral outbreak on a cruise ship in Seattle. Should the first action be evacuating the ship, contacting the Navy or establishing command and isolating the area? The user must answer questions while sirens and police radios blare and a timer ticks down the seconds. "It's an enjoyable learning experience, while it's stressful and serious," Mitchell said.

Who it's for: Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, educators and citizens trained in emergency response. Incident Tactics' part-time workers include firefighters who develop accurate scenarios. Mitchell is a former firefighter and paramedic. The company recently signed Shoreline Public Schools as its first customer and is in talks with four county governments.

Why it's around: No one else is offering this, Mitchell said. Even three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the government is still figuring out its policies and certification programs for homeland security. Mitchell said he hopes Incident Tactics can work with the government to train first responders.

What it costs: The company has designed its prices on a per-use basis, and prices range from $10 to $25 per use depending on the complexity of the simulation used.

Funding: Since its founding a year ago, the company has raised $1 million. It's about to open a $2 million round, which Mitchell said will help it move into revenue-generating mode. He said he expects the company to be profitable by mid-2005. Raising money has not been difficult, he said.

— Kim Peterson