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http://dx.doi.org/10.7731/KIFSE.2017.31.3.137

Optimal Decisions on the Quantity and Locations of Ambulances for the Timely Response to Emergency Requests  

Jeong, Yonghun (Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University)
Jeong, Heena (Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University)
Ko, Jeonghan (Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University)
Publication Information
Fire Science and Engineering / v.31, no.3, 2017 , pp. 137-143 More about this Journal
Abstract
A sufficient number of ambulances are critical for preventing delayed vehicle dispatch for emergency patients. This study presents effective methodologies for evaluating the effects of ambulance quantities on availability. The statistical properties of the emergency requests and responses were analyzed for a city in Korea. The inter-request times were modeled by statistical distributions. The ambulance dispatch was modeled using simulation, reflecting the shared dispatch among the city districts. The simulation results revealed that the existing ambulance quantity could successfully meet the majority of the requests, but more vehicles were desirable for improvement. The locations of the additional vehicles were determined efficiently by simulations with a greedy approach. The simulations with added vehicles showed a significantly better coverage of the emergency calls. This research can help design improved emergency vehicle operations, and help save lives.
Keywords
Emergency Vehicle; Responsiveness; Statistical Analysis; Simulation; Availability;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
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