Optimum route modeling for emergency response during disastrous situation in densely populated urban area

Abstract

In this study a comprehensive and realistic shortest route model has been developed and validated using field data for one of the densely populated areas of Dhaka city. The main objective of this study is to find optimal solution to solving the routes for emergency vehicles including ambulances and firefighting units through the congested road network of the study area during any disastrous situation. The shortest path with only one criterion chooses the path with the least length when the average travel speed is same in particular roadway network. Whereas, the multi-criteria optimum route chooses the route with the least friction and thereby produces a path with the least travel time for the quickest response. Using the developed model different spatial analyses including closest facility location, Origin- Destination (O-D) cost matrix generation, location allocation and service area analysis have been done with ArcGIS 10.3 network extension tools. From analysis it is found that more than 85% of the area is beyond emergency response service within 15 minutes of any fire related incidents in congested roadway condition. From the raster map it is seen that the average travel times of the four hospitals ranges from a minimum of 7.4 minutes to a maximum of 20.7 minutes. The study identified 27 evacuation points in the periphery of the study boundary. The distance of the closest evacuation points from any locality has been found to range from 73 meter to 1095 meter. Based on these analyses the most vulnerable localities have been identified and to lessen the expected damage of these areas some Emergency Medical Service and/or Emergency Fire Response units have been proposed in different location using location-allocation analysis by maximizing the coverage area.