AN OPERATIONS RESEARCH APPROACH FOR THE PLANNING AND OPERATION OF AN AMBULANCE SERVICE

The operation of emergency medical services (ems) is very complex, involving not only medical but financial and legal factors as well. The problem has many facets, that can be briefly summarized as follows: 1) demand forecasting; 2) conversion of demand into number of vehicles in service; 3) scheduling of personnel; 4) operational strategy, including location, dispatching, relocation of free units and anticipation of future events; 5) minimization of delays, and 6) personnel issues. This paper presents a solution model aimed at four principal areas: demand forecasting, scheduling, optimal location of waiting points and simulation as an evaluation tool. (a)