Assessment of the Building Situation Tool Adoption among Firefighters

Abstract

Technology is a standard tool that first responders use in their assessment and planning during disasters. Despite the considerable number of hardware and software solutions adopted, first responders still often rely on paper plans when examining indoor disasters. The purpose of this research is to investigate the technical competencies of firefighters and test the building situation tool (BUST) to replace the paper plans. A mixed method approach was used to assess the technology self-efficacy and gather insight into perceived usefulness, ease of use, and the user experience from the firefighters (N=20). The findings show a sufficient level of competency, and that first time users prefer guided instructions, clarity in the user interface, controls, and options to customize the user interface. The findings have practical implications for the future development of BUST and its adoption to the workflow of firefighters.