Addressing The Situational Impairments Encountered By Firefighters Through The Design Of Alerts

Situationally-induced impairments and disabilities (SIlDs) are experienced by a range of users. Firefighters can be impacted when performing tasks under the inhospitable conditions often present at the scene of a fire (e.g. thick smoke and loud noise). In this paper, we describe the steps of an approach to support situational awareness (SA) among firefighters whose visual and auditory channels may be restricted while performing tasks. A structured multi-step approach was adopted to develop meaningful, perceivable cues that could aid in this process. In order to investigate the efficacy of alerts designed using this approach, cues were evaluated under simulated conditions in a lab. Findings revealed the benefits offered by visual signals when facing SIIDs, in contrast to their tactile and auditory counterparts. However, subjective comments revealed that tactile signals, if designed appropriately, may offer promise to support decision making among firefighters who often encounter SIIDs.