A mathematical programming and simulation approach to urban search and rescue teams location problem

Natural disasters are catastrophic phenomena that disrupt people?s lives. Earthquakes are a kind of natural disasters that has long lasting destructive effects. Earthquakes create physical, geographical and social impacts. In this study, the number and types of the additional search and rescue teams needed by different regions after an earthquake is determined.For the regions that have an earthquake risk, different parameters, such as the magnitude of the earthquake and how much these regions will be affected from the earthquake, vary from one region to another. The risk factor differs according to the primary and secondary coverage areas that the search and rescue units may serve. Primary coverage areas are the regions that are neighbors to the earthquake zones. The secondary coverage areas, however, include the areas which are the neighbors to the primary coverage areas. In this study, the units can be sent from one region to another to meet the demands in the regions affected from the earthquake. The search and rescue units that will be dispatched among different regions are determined according to the primary and secondary coverage rules. In the modeling of problem, the available units try to respond to the demands of primary and secondary coverage areas after responding to the demands of their own regions first. The units that will be dispatched between primary and secondary coverage areas sort the demands according to the risk factors. The demanded units are sent to the region that has the highest risk factor among the neighbor regions that requested the units.The obtained solution is tested with simulations to validate the mathematical model. In the results section, the need for search and rescue teams emerging in case of an earthquake is determined at the end of the planning process.