An Operations Research Approach for Daily Emergency Management

Abstract

Emergency services play a vital role in society by providing help to affected people and minimizing damage to public and private assets as well as the environment during emergencies. However, these organizations deal with problems of increasing demand uncertainty and resource shortage over time. These problems lead to the creation of many other problems, such as longer response times, lower survivability of victims and patients, and more severe damage to properties and the environment. Acquiring more information about future emergency demand, such as factors affecting this demand, can contribute to reduction of the effects of increasing demand uncertainty. The introduction of volunteers as a new type of emergency resource, which has gained attention in the past few years, can be a solution to the problem of increasing resource shortage. My PhD journey started when I joined the KTS-division of Communication and Transport Systems, Department of Science and Technology. While this journey, so far, has been the most enjoyable trip I have ever taken in my life, it has not been an easy one all the time. A journey, full of ups and downs, many lessons learned, and many more to come to learn. During this period, many people have helped and supported me, to whom I am sincerely grateful. First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors, Tobias Andersson Granberg, Jan Lundgren, and Anna Fredriksson, for their patient guidance, feedback, comments, and the invaluable time and effort they spent sharing their knowledge with me. I am grateful to Tobias for continuously supporting me in every step of my research and studies, being there when needed for guidance, discussion, and developing ideas, and never losing his patience or belief in me. I am deeply grateful to all three of you and very happy to have you as my supervisors. Without your help, this thesis simply would not have turned out as it is now. Also, I would like to extend my gratitude to all my colleagues at KTS for discussions, sharing knowledge and experiences, and creating a friendly working environment. I am especially grateful to both my office mates, Alan and Therese; thank you for all our scientific and non-scientific discussions, it is always a pleasure talking to you two. A special thanks to both my formal and informal mentors, Fahimeh and Ellen; your kind support and talks helped me get through especially my first year as a PhD student. Thanks also to Kriss for always generously, and without any hesitance, sharing your time and knowledge with me. A special thank you to Viveka Nilson; your help with everything, with high positivity and spirit, is invaluable. And thanks to the PhD body of KTS for all PhD fikas, serious meetings, and after works; it is always nice to spend time with you. This research was financed by The Swedish Civil Contingency Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, MSB), and has been part of the Center for Advanced Research in Emergency Response (CARER), for which I am very grateful. Additionally, I would like to thank my w...

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“…Secondly, budget cuts by local governments lead to further restrictions and centralization of these resources. Especially in rural areas, this results in longer transportation times (Matinrad, 2019). In addition to declining supply, EMS faces increasing demand for service (Hegenberg et al, 2019), aging populations being among the main reasons (Veser et al, 2015).…”

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“…Secondly, budget cuts by local governments lead to further restrictions and centralization of these resources. Especially in rural areas, this results in longer transportation times (Matinrad, 2019). In addition to declining supply, EMS faces increasing demand for service (Hegenberg et al, 2019), aging populations being among the main reasons (Veser et al, 2015).…”