WE ARE FIRE TRAINERS - Thomas Førde Bauta Group

We had the opportunity to speak with Thomas Førde from Bauta Kompetanse. Established in 2025 and based in Vestnes municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Bauta Kompetanse is a training company providing certified and documented safety training, including forklift operation, crane operation, working at height, and mobile elevating work platforms.

Bauta Kompetanse delivers practical, high-quality safety training designed to meet industry requirements while ensuring participants gain hands-on competence in safe working practices. For their fire safety training, they use the VR Fire Trainer, delivered through the reseller VR Training.

How would you describe your experience using the VR Fire Trainer? We have been using the VR Fire Trainer for approximately 10 months and are, so far, quite satisfied. It is practical to use, easy to transport, features user-friendly software and provides you with a realistic experience.

Which features do you find most useful or impressive? What is most impressive is the overall experience of extinguishing a fire. The scenarios feel realistic, and the fact that the fire reignites if it is not fully extinguished makes the experience very immersive. The same applies to the distance to the fire in relation to the type of extinguisher used-for example, you generally need to be closer when using CO₂.

Compared to traditional fire training, what do you see as the biggest advantage of VR? The greatest advantage of VR training is that it requires less preparation and can be used repeatedly. It is quick and easy to set up and efficient to use.

Have you seen any time or cost savings since implementing the VR training?

We have not conducted many traditional fire-extinguishing exercises, so we do not have a strong basis for comparison, either in terms of time or cost. That said, we clearly see advantages related to transport, preparation prior to use, reusability, and flexibility of location, as it can be used both indoors and outdoors, in small and large spaces, without having to consider fire risk.