Comparing Firefighters' Perceived Workload Using 2D vs. 3D Building Plans to Support Emergency Response Preplanning in a Simulated Fire Scenario.

Firefighters rely on visual information to make tactical decisions during structure fire events. Consequently, user interface design for public safety requires a comprehensive understanding of how these visual cues impact performance in terms of expertise and domain knowledge, as well as cognitive load. However, very few studies have captured baseline measures (e.g., subjective workload) associated with the use of pre-incident planning, the phase prior to deciding how to extinguish the fire. Virtual environments and 3D modeling have been suggested as a tool that can better support the exploration of emerging technology to better support pre-incident planning practices. Sixty-four (n = 64) North American firefighters participated in this study. Our work focuses on providing baseline data to define effective ways to present building and hazard information to incident commanders using both current systems (e.g., 2D diagrams) and emerging technologies (e.g., 3D models, virtual reality, augmented reality).