Development and Validation of The Instrument for Accessibility Model Framework with Integration of Internet-of-Things for Fire Emergency Preparedness

Nur ‘Amirah Mhd Noh; Nor Rima Muhamad Ariff; Ahmad Amru Mohamad Zaid; Rabeah Md Zin; Mohd Haikal Md Kasri

Authors

Nur ‘Amirah Mhd Noh Centre of Studies of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Kompleks Tahir Majid, Universiti Teknologi Mara, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Nor Rima Muhamad Ariff Centre of Studies of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Kompleks Tahir Majid, Universiti Teknologi Mara, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Ahmad Amru Mohamad Zaid School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Malaysia University of Science and Technology, Encorp Strand Garden Office, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Rabeah Md Zin Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohd Haikal Md Kasri Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, 56048 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Keywords:

Accessibility Model, Internet of Things, Fire Emergency Preparedness, Content Validity Index, Instrument Validation

Abstract

Fire emergencies present significant risks when building safety systems do not adequately address accessibility, preparedness, and inclusive evacuation needs. The increasing use of Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies provides opportunities to strengthen fire emergency preparedness through real-time alerts, emergency exit guidance, automated lighting, smart fire extinguisher indicators, and voice-assisted evacuation support. This study develops and validates an instrument for assessing an Accessibility Model Framework with IoT integration for fire emergency preparedness. The instrument is structured around two main dimensions: technology acceptance and accessibility-based fire emergency support. The technology acceptance dimension includes performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. The accessibility-based fire emergency support dimension includes IoT-based emergency exit guidance, real-time fire alerts on mobile applications, automated emergency lighting, smart fire extinguisher location indicators, and voice-assisted evacuation support. Six experts from fire safety management, facilities management, IoT technology, and emergency response evaluated the instrument using the Content Validity Index method. The results showed strong content validity, with most items achieving acceptable Item-Level Content Validity Index values and the overall Scale-Level Content Validity Index falling within the recommended range. The findings indicate that the instrument has acceptable conceptual coverage and expert-agreed relevance for evaluating accessibility and preparedness in IoT-enabled fire emergency contexts. However, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of content validity only, rather than evidence of field effectiveness or actual user performance. The validated instrument provides a foundation for future pilot testing, empirical implementation, and refinement in real-world IoT-enabled buildings. It may support researchers, building managers, emergency planners, and policymakers in identifying key accessibility and IoT readiness dimensions, although further testing with users and operational building systems is required before broader policy or practice recommendations can be made.