An optimization method for determining the emergency action by considering compatibilities and collaborative relationship

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to propose an optimization method for determining the emergency action, in which the compatibility between emergency alternatives and the collaborative relationship between departments are considered. Design/methodology/approach The individual emergency cost and individual emergency effect of each emergency alternative are calculated. And the collaborative emergency cost and collaborative emergency effect associated with a pair of emergency alternatives are calculated. Then, a bi-objective programming model maximizing the total emergency effect and minimizing the total emergency cost is constructed. A novel nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NNSGA II) is designed to solve the constructed model, subsequently. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the use of the proposed method, and the performance of NNSGA II is evaluated through a simulation experiment. Findings This paper proposes an effective method to manage complex emergency events that requires the coordinations of multiple departments. Also, this paper provides a new algorithm to determine an appropriate emergency action that performs well in managing both the emergency cost and emergency effect. Originality/value The findings contribute to the current methods in the field of emergency management. The method is used for dealing with the individual information of emergency alternatives and the collaborative information associated with a pair of alternatives.