GIS Based Road Network Analysis for Locating Fire Stations and Emergency Response Analysis: Case Study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

The growth of Addis Ababa is treated by fire and emergency accident a number of time per year with the annual average loss of 39,030 540 birr and 43.5 people lost their life annually too (AFEPS, 2014). To reduce this lost the location of fire stations should be determined scientifically and the time needed to reach the accident place should be minimized as match as possible. The research has an objective of selecting additional sites for unmeet demands and improving the time needed by creating a GIS based response system data base. The created data base can be used for locating accidents dynamically and selection of best routes. This study examines a methodology for calculating accessibility value of urban road networks and urban fire station site selection method with a case of Addis Ababa city. The primary research questioncenters on finding the accessibility value of road networks. Unmeet demand was identified to find optimal site to place a new fire station. Current fire services are accounted for by evaluating the effective service areas of existing stations. The evaluation uses network analysis based on the city's road network and response standard established by the ISO. Unmet need is identified as theaddress points that lie outside those service areas. Five factor criteria's (accessibility, high risk areas, unmeet demand, dense residential areas and areas subject to interventions) were selected to be analyzed by using AHP method. Simple enumeration with AHP the total demand points covered by potential demand sites are used to calculate the optimal solution. Application of the methodology resulted in road networks with identified accessibility value. After setting the accessibility level of road networks service area is calculated using existing fire stations and the coverage is found to be 46.5 %. After identifying unmeet demands three additional sites have been selected. Calculating service areas using the added new fire stations service coverage canbe improved to 87.5 %. Finally a GIS based response system database is developed from which fire station workers and ambulance drivers can use it at the report of the accident.