A series of simulated pre-incident emergency response planning exercises were conducted with 81 firefighters across Eastern North Carolina to explore perceptions of how various formats of building design visualizations affect pre-incident emergency response planning. In total, 81 firefighters were provided with one of three visualization formats of three existing commercial facilities including: (2) two-dimensional computer aided design drawings (CAD), (3) three-dimensional navigable imagery, and (3) a combination of the two. Participants were randomly assigned to a singular visualization format using a randomized design. Participants were asked to explore the structure using the visualization provided to build an understanding of the layout and internal configuration of the facility. ANOVA tests suggest that the format of visualization did have a significant effect on firefighters' perceptions of conceptualization of navigational aspects of buildings, perceptions of conceptualization of building layout and configuration, and perceptions of conceptualization of division connectivity. Results suggest the provision of a combination of 2D CAD and navigable imagery improve conceptualization of building navigation, layout and configuration, and division connectivity. Additionally, the result suggest that all formats are easy to use, are interactive, and participants were comfortable using the formats. Participant feedback to open-ended questions regarding benefits of the visualizations, suggestions for improvements, and uses for pre-incident planning and emergency response activities are presented. The results of this study advance the theoretical knowledge in firefighter safety and pre-incident planning and assists researchers, firefighters, emergency management professionals, and NCDOT professionals in developing effective visualizations to facilitate increased target and high hazard building knowledge and pre-incident planning. The practical implication is that the format of visualization may enable firefighters to train remotely on building navigation and potentially improve the effectiveness of rescue activities and patient and firefighter survivability in potential NCDOT emergency events.
