Newly developed software could allow emergency personnel to conduct virtual reconnaissance of two St. Louis schools to hasten response time in a crisis.

The need for such a tool came to light following the 1999 Columbine High School shootings near Littleton, Colo. Officials in Colorado voiced concerns that police intervention might have been delayed because officers were unfamiliar with the school's layout. The terrorist attacks of 9-11 underscored the need.

Working with St. Louis police and school administrators, a Saint Louis University lab has created CD-ROMs that show 360-degree panoramic views of every classroom, cafeteria, gym, and office in two of the city's largest high schools.

The discs also feature satellite images and aerial photographs of the buildings' exteriors and neighborhoods to show routes in and out of the schools, and possible evacuation and staging areas.

Researchers plan to develop similar software for as many as 170 St. Louis-area schools, allowing emergency responders to conduct immediate, interactive reconnaissance of any the buildings with a few taps on a computer keyboard.

"A good analogy is a high-definition computer game, where you can virtually walk through space," said Jim Gilsinan, dean of Saint Louis University's College of Public Service, which includes the Geographic Information Systems lab developing the software.

Workable on any computer, the so-called Crisis Intervention Response Application seeks to bolster safety of emergency crews, give an on-the-spot picture of how to best approach a violent setting, and offer schematics of nearby neighborhoods.

Police officials will have the ability in seconds to click on any area they wish to view.

With software potentially more helpful than conventional diagrams, "the bottom line is it increases the efficiency and effectiveness of an emergency crew's ability to respond," Gilsinan said.

Such technology is long overdue, said Harold Brewster, vice president of the St. Louis school board.

"If something terrible were to happen, knowing the nuances of these old buildings—the nooks and crannies—might be valuable," including showing where children might hide to escape flames and smoke, said Brewster.

For local firefighters, applications for now might be limited by the lack of computers on fire trucks, though "we're going to have it," Fire Chief Sherman George said.

"We do have some knowledge of buildings, but memories often aren't as clear as what you can get from a computer screen," he said. "This would be a very important tool" in giving firefighters visuals of a building's entry points and water sources.

To create the CD-ROMs of Soldan and Beaumont high schools, the college students and staff took panoramic photographs of each room, then combined them with blueprints of each school's layout, aerial photos, and satellite images.