An empirical study of firefighting sensemaking practices to inform the design of ubicomp technology

In this paper we present an ethnographic study conducted with the Paris Firefighting Brigade to understand the sensemaking practices of firefighters on the first line of intervention and explore ideas for the design of supporting ubicomp technologies. We argue that sensemaking is a core element of firefighting practices particularly when firefighters work on creating a shared understanding of unknown spaces. After exploring a building under very limited visual conditions, firefighters draw ad hoc maps and representations of the environment, which play a crucial role in collaborative sensemaking processes. We conclude on the importance of the central role that sensemaking should play in ubicomp solutions supporting firefighters on ad hoc mapping.