Former DGES undergraduate student wins
prestigious speaking engagement at the
2013 ESRI GIS International User
Conference
Matt Leyenaar, Carleton U presented on GIS-based improvements to the
Renfrew County Ambulance Service
Optimal ambulance deployment is a challenging problem that is often the subject of operations
research in an urban setting. This paper approaches the problem through spatial-temporal analysis
followed by decision making structured by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research is
applied to The County of Renfrew Paramedic Service (CoRPS) to establish a ranked list of paramedic
posts. Parameters considered were: Population, Historical emergency call volume, Historical record
of emergency calls requiring advanced care, and Mean distance to points with above average
demand. The results highlight the utility of data analysis and of a structured decision making
process. Limitations on results were governed by the input from decision makers as well as the
contrast between concepts of reliability and probability in addressing the ambulance deployment
problem. Further research opportunities exist to test the implementation of the ranked posts into
the CoRPS deployment plan.
Establishing a ranked post system for rural ambulance deployment