Indoor Routing for School Emergencies with Next Generation 911 Data: Evaluating the Impact of Detailed Indoor Maps on First Responder Response Times

Rapid response during school emergencies is crucial to minimizing casualties and safeguarding students and staff. Traditional emergency response routing relies primarily on street-level maps and external building access points, which often fail to capture the complexity of indoor environments such as classrooms, stairwells, corridors, and restricted zones. The integration of Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems with detailed indoor maps offers a potential breakthrough in improving situational awareness and routing efficiency for first responders. This study evaluates the extent to which detailed indoor mapping can reduce response times in school emergencies. Indoor network graphs were constructed from architectural floor plans and building connectivity data. Simulations were performed in ArcGIS Pro to model responder routing across multiple entry points, obstacles, and emergency conditions. Comparative analysis between baseline external-only routing and enhanced indoor routing demonstrated that detailed maps significantly reduced detours, optimized access to critical zones, and improved response times. Findings support the integration of NG911 infrastructure with indoor geospatial data to enhance emergency preparedness and inform future standards for public safety communication systems.