Tactical navigation support for firefighters

We present a concept and implementation for supporting tactical navigation of firefighters in structural fires, called LifeNet. It is based on a sensor network that firefighters deploy on-the-fly during an intervention and a wearable system that provides them navigational support. The system was designed in collaboration with the Paris Fire Brigade and is based on intensive empirical studies of their work practice. The article focuses on the exploration of human factors related to the LifeNet concept, including appropriation, interaction, as well as the relation to current and potential future work practice. These aspects are discussed for LifeNet and a few related approaches against the findings from our empirical studies.