Uncertainty in Facility Location Models for Emergency Medical Services

Eric G. Stratman (), Justin J. Boutilier () and Laura A. Albert ()
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Eric G. Stratman: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Justin J. Boutilier: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Laura A. Albert: University of Wisconsin-Madison

A chapter in Uncertainty in Facility Location Problems, 2023, pp 213-250 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Emergency medical service (EMS) systems aim to respond to emergency calls and provide life-saving care to patients. The location of EMS resources is critical to providing this care in a timely manner, and as a result, EMS facility location problems have received a tremendous amount of attention since the 1960s, and their advancement is directly tied to a wide range of facility location problems. This chapter reviews uncertainty in facility location problems applied to EMS systems and provides an intuition for and understanding of EMS problem settings. The chapter begins by explaining EMS response processes and the goals of the early deterministic models. Next, it introduces probabilistic formulations that account for uncertainty in ambulance availability, response time, and demand. Then, it highlights directions within the field and the role of uncertainty in these problem settings. This includes EMS systems with tiered units, systems that consider resource relocation, EMS systems in developing countries, and several other areas. Lastly, it concludes by providing insights into how these models are used in practice.

Keywords: Facility location; Ambulance location; Emergency medicine; Public safety; Optimization under uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32338-6_9

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