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Perceived Usefulness and Usability of a Visual Analytical System for Toxic Chemical Identification: Results from a National Survey of First Responders

Despite the critical importance of decision-support tools used by first responders during toxic chemical emergencies, little is known about the usage and design requirements for such tools. Guided by the results from a qualitative study of 20 first responders from 2 states, we conducted a nation-wide survey of first responders to analyze how current decision-support technologies are being used, and to solicit perceptions for the usefulness and usability of a prototypical visual analytical system for toxic chemical identification. The results (n=139) revealed that while respondents from regional jurisdictions had significantly different profiles for tool usage compared to single and countywide jurisdictions, there were uniformly high ratings for the perceived usability and usefulness of the prototypical visual analytical system across all jurisdictions. A closer inspection revealed a significant difference in perceived usefulness versus usability across all jurisdictions, with the textual comments providing clues for that difference. These results extend our prior understanding of technology use by first responders, and help to identify the critical features necessary for the wide adoption of future systems.