An Optimization Model for Advanced Life Support Ambulance Facility Location Problem

Abstract

The survival rate of the patients in medical emergencies depends on the minimize ambulance arrival time on-sites and promptly provides medical care to the patients. Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances play a critical role in reducing the fatal and severity rate of emergency patients. The several areas in big cities always encounter with traffic congestion, which is a significant obstacle for ALS ambulances to achieve their service time window target (predetermine as less than 8 min). In light of prior research, arranging appropriate parking locations can solve such a problem. This study proposes a mathematical model of facility location problem to identify the ALS ambulances parking locations. This paper simultaneously considers the minimize of the total number of ALS ambulance parking locations while covering the service areas and service time window are fulfilled. One part of business centers in Bangkok was chosen to correct the data and test the proposed model. This study is distinguished from others in these areas by the only possible parking places, i.e., schools, temples, police stations, and gas stations, which are taking into consideration. IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio Version 12.6.1 was utilized to solve the problem. The result indicates that there are 26 parking locations, which can enable the service coverage areas. As well as achieve a 54% service time window target.