Optimizing the fleet of emergency medical service vehicles
研究了在现有紧急医疗系统中优化救护车车队组成和空间分布的问题，通过层次p-中值模型和计算机仿真，发现优化站点位置比改变车队组成更有效，在斯洛伐克可将高优先级事件8分钟响应率提升8.7%（城市）和10.5%（农村）。
This study addresses the problem of optimizing composition and distribution of an ambulance fleet within an existing emergency medical system. The primary objective is to formulate a strategy aimed at minimizing response times and enhancing the system's responsiveness, particularly to critically ill patients. The optimal spatial distribution of various types of vehicles is proposed using a hierarchical p-median model. The effects of these strategies are evaluated through a detailed computer simulation model. Experimental studies have shown that optimizing station locations contributes more significantly than altering the fleet composition and associated dispatching protocols. In the context of the Slovak Republic, the proportion of high-priority incidents responded to within eight minutes could be increased by 8.7% in urban areas and 10.5% in rural areas, solely through optimal deployment of currently active ambulances. An additional improvement of nearly 2% could be achieved by introducing 13 patient transport ambulances, optimally distributed throughout the country.