CONTESTS

PROBLEMS

ARTICLES

REGISTER

ABOUT

CONTACT
Powered by Comap
 

Problem Title: Emergency Medical Response

     
  Year: 2013      
  Student Level: High School      
  Source: HiMCM      
  Commentary: Yes (1)      
  Student Papers: Yes (5)      
     
  Problem  
 

The Emergency Service Coordinator (ESC) for a county is interested in locating the county’s three ambulances to best maximize the number of residents that can be reached within 8 minutes of an emergency call. The county is divided into 6 zones and the average time required to travel from one zone to the next under semi-perfect conditions is summarized in the following Table 1.

  Average Travel Times (min.)
Zones 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 8 12 14 10 16
2 8 1 6 18 16 16
3 12 18 1.5 12 6 4
4 16 14 4 1 16 12
5 18 16 10 4 2 2
6 16 18 4 12 2 2

Table 1: Average travel times from Zone i to Zone j in semi-perfect conditions.

The population in zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are given in Table 2 below

Zones Population
1 50,000
2 80,000
3 30.000
4 55.000
5 35,000
6 20,000
Total 270,000

Table 2: Population in each Zone

Goals of your model

1. Determine the locations for the three ambulances which would maximize the number of people who can be reached within 8 minutes of a 911 call. Can we cover everyone? If not, then how many people are left without coverage?

2. We now have only two ambulances since one has been set aside for an emergency call; where should we put them to maximize the number of people who can be reached within the 8 minute window? Can we cover everyone? If not, then how many people are left without coverage?

3. Two ambulances are now no longer available; where should the remaining ambulance be posted? Can we cover everyone? If not, then how many people are left without coverage?

4. If a catastrophic event occurs in one location with many people from all zones involved, could the ESC cover the situation? How do counties or cities design for those rare but catastrophic events?

5. In addition to the contest's format, prepare a short 1-2 page non-technical memo outlining your recommendations from your model and analysis finding for the ESC.tions.

 

 
  Commentary      
 

Consortium Article

     
         
  Student Papers      
 

Team 4004: Emergency Medical Response

Hong Kong International School, Hong Kong

 
         
 

Team 4155: Wee Woo Wee Woo Ambulance Response Mechanism

Shanghai Foreign Language School, Shanghai, China

 
         
 

Team 4185: Emergency Medical Response

Shanghai High School International Division, Shanghai, China

 
         
 

Team 4421: Emergency Medical Response

Eastside High School, Gainsville, FL

 
         
 

Team 4498: Traveling at the Speed of Life: Optimizing the Efficiency of Ambulances in a Multizonal County

American Heritage School, Plantation, Coral Springs, FL