# Developing a Building Fire Information Management System Based on 3D Object Visualization
## 5 Prototype Development and Scenario Analysis
### Application of the BFIMS  
To verify the proposed system, an imaginary case-study project, a five-story university building, was applied using a scenario-based framework, as depicted in Figure 8.  
Facility managers or employees regularly inspect the firefighting facilities for fire prevention and preparation. They also manage hazardous materials that are brought into or taken outside the building. The system users can obtain the results in a spreadsheet format as a list of all objects. This information needs to be managed based on the object information stored in the BFIMS database. BFIMS allows them to create checklists to support inspection work items and increase maintenance work productivity. In addition, by managing the detailed information and inspection data of each facility, the manager can use this system to predict the obsolescence of the facility, determine the timing of replacements, and/or enhance the inspection quality. Figure 8: Scenario-based BFIMS application framework. During the course of routine monitoring, should changes occur during the life cycle of the building, they can be updated with the BFIMS modification function to ensure up-to-date building information. The visualization of this information is based on 3D objects, which provide intuitive location information to the manager, thereby making inspection and maintenance work more convenient. * Scenario 2: Emergency control in the case of fire occurrence  
When a building fire occurs, facility managers move to the site to determine whether or not the fire is real and take actions according to the emergency manual. They also seek the location of the nearest fire hydrant and activate the fire hydrant transmitter to trigger a fire alarm throughout the building. Then, they guide occupants to escape safely through the evacuation stairs, and remove important documents or items from the building. Furthermore, any disastrous area that may affect the entire building owing to fire should be addressed in advance. However, this fire control process is solely dependent on the manager's experience and memory, which can lead to delays in response time owing to degraded cognitive abilities during challenging events, such as emergencies. Using the proposed BFIMS, emergency responders can quickly identify the visible locations of fire extinguishing facilities, evacuation facilities, and fire risk element information that need to be used. In other words, detailed information, including location data, can be collected, after which the priority of the initial response can be determined based on this reliable objective information. For example, the manager can identify the location of a fire extinguisher or fire hydrant near the ignition point, raise an alarm, broadcast the situation based on the available resource elements, and attempt to control the fire early. To improve the effectiveness of the proposed system, this study assumes that emergency responders are given the approval to use the BFIMS so as to share the information. In general, firefighting teams are not familiar with a particular building layout. Therefore, it requires time and effort to analyze the spatial relationship inside the building before arriving at the fire site. With this system, prompt decision making can be achieved even if the visible distance inside the building is limited owing to the spread of flames and smoke. In addition, the model supports optimum route calculations and improves the utilization of the fire prevention resources (e.g., fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, standpipe systems, and fire department connections). Because these resources contain certain information required for the fire response activities, the emergency responders can collect the information quickly and assist strategic decision-making based on the linkages of the information with the surrounding environment.