Emergency ambulance location using the contiguous zone search routine

Abstract

AbstractThis paper reports on a study to select permanent emergency ambulance sites for the city of Austin, Texas. A facility location algorithm referred to as the contiguous zone search routine (CZSR) was developed to capitalize on the availability of a large data base of interzone travel times. This algorithm was coupled to an existing emergency medical system simulation model (CALL) to permit systematic evaluations of system performance directed at improving average response time. This combination of a simulation model and heuristicsearch routine permitted a degree of model realism not available with deterministic location algorithms currently in use. The output from the system simulation provided the city with a rich description of system performance to evaluate the desirability of locations selected by the heuristic search routine and a set of joint use sites selected by the city. A final analysis confined to the set of joint use sites identified, in priority order, twelve locations for EMS vehicles to be phased in over a five year period. The paper concludes with some observations on the process of public sector planning.