Planning the use of helicopters for supply distribution in response operations to sudden disasters

Abstract

In disasters, when affected areas are remote or difficult to access, or when other ways of transport are not available, helicopters become the most appropriate vehicles to reach the victims, specialy in cases of floods, landslides and earthquakes. However, the planning of air transport operations in the context of a disaster response is of great complexity, so that operational research has significant application and potential contribution to the area. In this context, we propose a procedure that aims to optimize the use of helicopters in response operations to small and medium-scale disasters. The proposed procedure seeks to minimize the total time of operation and the mobilization of air resources during the last mile delivery in relief operations. The proposed procedure is applied on a post-disaster scenario, taking as basis the real characteristics of the response operation to the floods, occurred in 2011, in the mountain region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This paper highlights a methodological protocol for review and stratification of the journals for study and a proposal of this work with viable processes to aid decision-making in the process of distribution of the humanitarian supply chain using helicopters.