Software developed in part because of the Columbine High School shootings to allow emergency personnel to take a virtual survey of a building's layout will be tested across the West this spring.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Jan. 18 it will lead testing to fine-tune the planning software developed by Littleton, Colo., Fire Department Capt. Jim Olsen in the summer of 1999.

"Columbine brought out some serious deficiencies with the paper pre-plans. They were hard...