Analysis for Evaluating Initial Incident Commander (IIC) Competencies on Fireground on VR Simulation Quantitative–Qualitative Evidence from South Korea

This study evaluates the competency-based performance of Initial Incident Commander (IIC) candidates—fire officers who serve as first-arriving, on-scene incident commanders—in South Korea and identifies sub-competency deficits to inform training improvements. Using evaluation data from 92 candidates tested between 2022 and 2024—of whom 67 achieved certification and 25 did not—we analyzed counts and mean scores for each sub-competency and integrated transcribed radio communications to contextualize deficiencies. Results show that while a majority (72.8%) passed, a significant proportion (27.2%) failed, with recurrent weaknesses in crisis response, progress management, and decision-making. For example, “Responding to Unexpected or Crisis Situations 3-3” recorded 27 unsuccessful cases with a mean score of 68.8. Candidates also struggled with resource allocation, situational awareness and radio communications. The study extends recognition-primed decision-making theory by operationalizing behavioral marker frameworks and underscores the need for predetermined internal alignment, scalability and teamwork synergy. Practical implications recommend incorporating high-fidelity simulation and VR scenarios, competency frameworks and reflective debriefs in training programs. Limitations include the single-country sample, reliance on predetermined scoring rubrics and absence of team-level analysis. Future research is indispensable to adopt multi-jurisdictional longitudinal designs, evaluate varied training interventions, assess skill retention and explore the interplay between physical and cognitive training over time.