A tool to understand large buildings in an emergency

For years, we’ve worked one-on-one with clients to help them gain building compliance and ensure emergency preparedness. We’ve created building floor-plan maps, risk assessments, compliance tools, learning solutions and emergency response plans. But now it’s time to think bigger, solve bigger issues, to take our solid foundation, strong domain expertise, smart data, and change industry practices – at scale domestically and then globally.

We have created a digital-data ecosystem for large buildings and public facilities (over 6,000 buildings and growing), a central repository of 2D and 3D digital building maps and a wealth of saved and real-time data, backed by applications that are easy to use, share information and record evidence.

It’s all in the name of preparing for and managing emergencies, safety and compliance. From inductions and evacuation programs for building occupants and visitors, to empowering emergency-response crews with instant mobile access to spatially accurate internal building layouts, asset information and real-time data. In short, we are improving situational awareness of first responders so that they can better prepare themselves to protect the community and save more lives.

Since its establishment in 2009 Locatrix has undergone a journey which has taken it from a fire-safety training company to the tech company it is today. This has occurred by incorporating each client’s site-specific building information into a sophisticated spatial-content-management tool for users to quickly, effectively and accurately mark-up indoor building plans and incorporate content. That data then triggers content artefacts in the building Emergency Plan which in turn selects educational content for each item. The result is building emergency training procedures for the exact place you work and the exact floor, building or campus you work in. Each user has a course tailored to include only the specific information required for their particular role for that particular geographic location.

The information saved for each building is passed onto the Locatrix Spatial Plan Repository that presents critical digital information in the Emergency Services Platform (ESP) that can be accessed by key personnel in the emergency services (police, fire and ambulance) to be informed to the highest level enabling increased safety for building occupants. By having visualisation into the building, including being able to stream live from security cameras, rescue plans can be executed with the most informed and strategic planning benefits, ensuring all the available data on that building’s emergency plan and occupants is available to the First Responders.

The problem we are trying to solve:

For ESP (Emergency Services Platform) – currently the data of the buildings that emergency services are meant to be protecting is limited and paper based – if it exists at all. We aim to improve this by sharing through the Emergency Services Platform the building data and enriched content that we collect on each building, resulting in an improved ability for emergency services to save lives.

For PlanStudio – Currently building audits are done to a different standard across the country. Each state has a different set of rules, some states are better than others. We believe by designing PlanStudio to serve the compliance requirements for each state, we have a product that is rich in data and user friendly for building certifiers and competent persons. Building surveyors currently mark-up manually (on paper) and provide information to a drafter who then draws emergency diagrams and signs, fire and evacuation documents and then marks essential safety measures onto building plans. PlanStudio enables the user (certifier/auditor) to complete this quickly while on site and walking through the building – via the app. This app provides spatial accuracy for every icon and detail entered by the auditor and calculates the dimensions of the building easily using geotagging technology.

For PlanSafe – few building owners have an online training system that is site specific. PlanSafe provides relevant information for each unique position and only that information is communicated and tested for that individual. PlanSafe is easy to use and understand, it uses interactive floor plans to communicate evacuation egress routes and provides the building owner/employee with a cost- and time-efficient way to achieve compliance. PlanSafe also provides the same training for contractors and volunteers visiting the site.

Through the combination of all three products, ESP, PlanStudio and PlanSafe, we can provide the building owner with a one-stop shop for evac diagrams, fire training, face-to-face training and building data such as alternative solutions and site-specific detail, which will ensure not only the occupants’ overall safety but also assist with compliance with maintaining safety elements and assets of a building. All information and reminders to maintain compliance is automated and dashboard reporting provided. Currently building owners need to go to different consultants to achieve this, costing money and missing the benefit of having one common product that links each vital element. Our product is more cost effective and efficient with each product integrating the workflow and improving richness of data and data integrity. This in turn provides a current snapshot of the building for emergency services – one secure platform for sharing vital information required to save lives when things go wrong.

PlanStudio is a mobile app for drafting, editing, viewing and adding mark-ups to CAD drawings directly from your tablet. It is the input tool and technology that Locatrix has developed to give certifiers, fire engineers and other competent persons a way to immediately create spatially accurate evacuation signs/diagrams via this application.

Onsite engineers can increase their productivity and revenue by connecting their work to cloud storage and directly create evacuation signs and diagrams. Traditional drafting software is complex and difficult to use, a manual mark-up often requiring transferring onto a sign template by a third party. PlanStudio is easy enough for a novice with robust, powerful features that will please any expert.

Key features include:

• Geotagging for spatially accurate plans
• 100+ pre-configured icons for WHS and Emergency Management
• Compliant with all relevant Australian legislation and standards
• Secure online cloud repository
• Multiple sign templates
• Full suite of drafting tools compatible with iOS and Windows
• All legislative updates for the app
• Push-button publishing of finished Evacuation
• Signs via Locatrix

For a simpler way to create evacuation signs and diagrams that will satisfy your client’s requirements, take the first step towards a new interactive approach.

For more information, go to www.locatrix.com