Why bother? Here’s why:

Emergency preparedness training usually requires closing down facilities and calling people off of work—but conducting emergency drills virtually is less disruptive and more convenient, says Colleen Monahan, the study’s principal investigator. Nearly all public health departments in the U.S. train workers for emergencies through traditional tabletop exercises and simulated real world drills.

Nothing beats the real thing but in the disaster preparation space that’s not usually an option so the virtual world route can be a very useful adjunct.