New technology company at the Research Park Incubator helps prepare emergency management teams across the country
Orlando, Fla. (July 21, 2025) – Known as the leader in providing simulations for the military, Central Florida’s technology industry continues to showcase how these technologies can be used in a multitude of industries.
The latest? Training emergency responders using custom simulations built using the same technologies as military simulations.
In June, Emergency Response Simulations joined the UCF Business Incubation Program in Research Park, relocating from New Jersey after spinning out of a 25-year-old managed service provider.
“Central Florida is the world’s center of using simulations and technology for training in the military and we knew that as we expand, we needed to be in the center of this industry,” says Jack Lopez, founder and CEO, Emergency Response Simulations. “Being a part of the UCF Business Incubation Program is essential to our success as we grow this business.”
Just like how many of the region’s military simulation companies are founded by veterans, Lopez brings significant experience in emergency response and how they train. For 26 years, he was a firefighter in New Jersey and recalls vividly the grainy videos used to train firefighters before simulated training evolved.
Before becoming a firefighter, he and his business partner founded Vigilance Technologies in New Jersey, providing technology services for businesses for more than 25 years. The company started developing its suite of simulation training technology, but it understood it was a completely different market than what Vigilance was working with.
Emergency Response Simulations already provides training services to such clients as Leidos and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The company can offer customized simulations for potential situations, customized to each department, without the need to travel for the simulations.
For instance, if a community has a chemical plant in its jurisdiction, it could be difficult to shut down the facility for a large-scale emergency response training. Instead, Emergency Response Simulations can build a digital twin of the plant and create a wide range of incidents, allowing the department to train without interrupting the business.
“Our key difference is that we understand the needs of emergency response because we spent so many years working in that environment,” Lopez says. “This type of training is affordable for most departments and will help them save lives.”
Currently, the company has four employees working at the Incubator, including Lopez, with other staff located throughout the USA and Canada. The company has plans to hire more developers over the next few years.
“From training our servicemen and women to training NFL quarterbacks to educators and now firefighters, the technology developed in our region and from our incubation clients prepares millions of people every day,” says Rafael Caamano, interim director, UCF Business Incubation Program. “We welcome Emergency Response Simulations to our community and the Incubator and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish.”
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UCF Business Incubation Program: Alan Byrd, Alan Byrd & Associates, 407-415-8470, Alan@ByrdConnections.com
About Emergency Response Simulations: Since 1999, the leadership team of Vigilance Technologies has leveraged its expertise to help our clients grow and prosper with the support of their technology operations. In the last few years, we have taken our technical expertise further and combined it with our First Responder experiences to bring simulation-based training to emergency response agencies and organizations. The result is the launching of our newest service, Emergency Response Simulations (ERSims), a scenario-based platform customized for First Responders to facilitate the ability to continuously practice the tactics, techniques, and procedures utilized by the men and women who serve in law enforcement, fire fighting/rescue, and medical emergencies.
Our platform utilizes the same technology used by the United States Military and our NATO allies to help train their soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to be better prepared and ready to defend their respective nations. Our desire was to bring the same level of immersion and fidelity to enhance your training experience to help you and your organization be better prepared to respond to events as diverse and challenging as active shooter, fire fighting, mass casualties, and HazMat incidents.. For more information, please visit ersimulations.com.
About the UCF Business Incubation Program: The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is a community resource that provides early-stage companies with the tools, training and infrastructure to become financially stable, high-growth/impact enterprises. Since 1999, this award-winning program has provided vital business development resources resulting in over 300 local startup companies reaching their potential faster and graduating into the community where they continue to grow and positively impact the local economy.
With eight facilities throughout the region, the UCF Business Incubation Program is an economic development partnership between the University of Central Florida, the Corridor, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, and the cities of Eustis, Kissimmee, Orlando and Winter Springs. In 2023, current incubator clients supported over 1,000 employees and generated over $120 million in revenue. Nineteen companies graduated from the program and remained in the local community. For more information, visit www.incubator.ucf.edu
