FD-CAST: A tool for analyzing and simulating fire department configurations

Abstract

The fire department configuration, which determines the number and the locations of fire stations as well as the formation of fire trucks, is a key element to achieve efficient fire fighting operations under limited resources. In this paper, we develop a tool, called FD-CAST, which visualizes estimated arrival information of fire trucks for given fire department configuration. FD-CAST first computes the distance and time between every pair of a fire station and a town block, based on the configuration and geographic information. Then, assuming that a fire occurs at a town block, FD-CAST derives a designated set of fire trucks to be dispatched and their estimated time of arrival. The result is visualized in a table and a choropleth map. A user can also simulate various situations by modifying the configuration information. We have implemented a prototype of FD-CAST, and conducted case studies with practical examples. Through feedback from fire officers, we confirm the effectiveness of FD-CAST for analyzing the fire department configuration problem.