METHODOLOGY FOR EMERGENCY AMBULANCE DEPLOYMENT

The development of an operational deployment methodology which is based on a model of an ambulance system is described. The response time of a system ambulance for a particular call depends on the state of the system when the call is received. Often when a medical emergency occurs, the ambulance that would normally be assigned may be busy; therefore, an idle but more distant ambulance is dispatched. The model is based on response time of an actual operating system -- the Computerized Ambulance Location Logic (CALL) of Los Angeles, California. A computer version of the model coupled with a pattern search routine constitutes the ambulance deployment methodology. The number and location of hospitals have an indirect effect on response time because they directly influence retrieval time, which is a component of ambulance service time. This methodology may be used to find the deployment of ambulances that minimizes mean response time. In the case of CALL, the final deployment substantially reduces the probability of excessive response time, and results in a smoothing of workload among the 14 ambulance crews.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Pub. in Management Science v19 n6 p627-636 Feb 73.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Austin

  Center for Highway Research, 200 West 21st Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78712

  Department of Transportation

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fitzsimmons, J A
• Publication Date: 1972-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 9 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ambulances; Call boxes (Driver aid devices); Data analysis; Emergency medical services; Emergency response time; Emergency vehicles; Health care; Health care services; Hospitals; Information processing; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Methodology; Reaction time; Regions; States; Systems analysis; Transportation
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: State regions
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00143377
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: FH-11-6849
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 17 1977 12:00AM