Ambulance deployment with the hypercube queuing model

A computer-implemented mathematical model has been developed to assist planners in the spatial deployment and dispatching of ambulances. The model incorporates uncertainties in the arrival times, locations, and service requirements of patients, building on the branch of operations research known as queuing theory. Several system-performance measures are generated by the model, including mean neighborhood-specific response times, mean utilization of each ambulance, and statistical profiles of ambulance response patterns. This model has been implemented by the Department of Health and Hospitals of the City of Boston.