On Designing a Fire Emergency Vehicle Fleet

Problem definition: The configuration of an emergency vehicle fleet (EVF) is critical to ensure that responders have the resources necessary to serve emergencies quickly and help prevent loss of life and property damage. Determining the fleet’s optimal design involves decisions regarding the fleet size, the spatial distribution of the stations as well as the extent of collaboration among them. We study the optimal design of a fire service fleet, which is characterized by the low utilization of the vehicles. The primary trade-off is between the cost of having too many vehicles in the fleet and the cost incurred by not serving a fire in a timely manner. Methodology and results: EVFs are highly expensive systems for the public sector. We introduce a novel queueing model approach tailored to the EVF as a light-traffic demand system. Our model incorporates the necessary performance measures i.e., the response times and the fleet capacity, in determining the optimal fleet configuration. We validate the model and demonstrate its adaptability via an application to the Toronto Fire Services. Managerial implications: Adopting our proposed model can assist managers in making informed strategic decisions regarding effective design of the EVF. The methodology can be used in the process of determining the most efficient investment into fire services in a large metropolitan region