By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- • The Philadelphia Fire Department opened a new immersive EMS disaster training facility called “Disaster University” in the Kensington section of the city.
- • The center uses high-fidelity simulations of mass-casualty and complex emergency scenarios to strengthen emergency medical services readiness.
- • More than 400 EMS providers have already trained at the facility since its October opening.
- • The program will expand to include firefighter training in spring 2026, officials said.
- • Regional agencies also use the facility to support disaster response preparedness.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia Fire Department has opened a new immersive emergency medical services (EMS) training facility called “Disaster University” designed to better prepare responders for mass-casualty and complex emergency incidents, department officials said.
Located in the Kensington neighborhood and opened in October 2025, the center combines classroom instruction with high-fidelity disaster simulations, including staged scenes that replicate motor vehicle crashes and chemical hazard environments, to augment standard EMS and fire training.
Fire Paramedic Captain William Murphy said the facility’s realistic scenarios aim to help EMS crews apply mass-casualty principles and triage practices under pressure, an approach leaders say enhances preparedness for large-scale emergencies.
More than 400 EMS providers from Philadelphia and regional agencies have already completed training at the center, and officials said firefighter training will be incorporated into the curriculum in spring 2026.
The department said Disaster University supplements, but does not replace, traditional academy training and is part of broader efforts to improve emergency response capabilities across the city and surrounding communities.