BOOKS OF RtfiDIfGS - PAHO/WHO

,' i6
- 290 -
Facility Location: A Review of
Context.free and EMS Models
By Charles Re Fllc, Dalid Bigmian, Da :id Schilling,
Jared Coho, annd Richard Church
EM.S hl(ation mriodels arc tlae Iorriiilald to address s5pc(ilc probllris
of cmergercy mnedical services systemrvs; (ontecxt-free lonation niodels arc liaose
developed *wilhout referencec o partirtular applications. The literature onx
dI,cee t,'o iypcs, of pullic Iacility Iioc;tinu mrindeli is revise'cli. and Ic devel.
opmnent of the maximnal .overiíng¡ nio(lel [rons several cma lier context-free
models is described. witis cmphasis on poblen statcments anid articulatious
ol service objectives. An applicationl of tlhe naitnial coverUsg mnodel lo fire
truck location points up the ability of tlis rnodcl to handc nmultiple objerc
tises: its ability to tomlpare alhicia solutions gives it great utiility for
i>lanini>; and cvashllting EiMS systcus o(l a wide raut;c of comiplexity. I'o
tential applications of the maximal covering inodel arc discussed rcgarding
EtlS problenms involving multiplc timic satandards and service objectives,
location of special equipment, aid siting oI fixed facilities.
'i lda(cment of facilities un a nciwork to rcspond to demands
or tu alract consumers has blccome a subjcc lfor both study and
teaching. The cxtensive bibliography by Lea [I] indicates how thc
literaturc in this arca has burgconed in recent ycars. IThe literaturc
includes investigations of the location of both public and private
fa;...ies; much of the literature concerning both the public and private
sectors throughl about 1970 was brought together in an articlc
by ReVelle. Marks. and Liebman [2]. Private sector facilities arc
often located to fulfill precisely stated objectives. suclh as minimnum
cost or maximum profit. in conitast, ithe goals and objectives of public
facility location are more difficult to capture and translate into
quantifiable teras.
The gradually evolving interpretation ol tlhe goal of maximum
public welfare has led to a number of possible problemni statements in
thc sphre of public facility location. Each of these diffcerent statemelits
has the potential lo fit tle perccptions of some decision niaker.
RKcogniring the vatiklity of nmany ot>jectives has bro¡xght us to wha;t
Addres communicatiolis and iXqlu.sss for ip:lilu t(o Charlic ReVrlle. Pro.
ipam in Syuemu Analyais a*nd Ecoomnis íor Publir Deisieons Makisg. Johss Hopkins
University. Bahimore. MD 21218.
David Bigman is an «'onomlr with thre Iniernational Monetarn Fun(I; Dasid
kShiUing ia asistant profesuo at the Centcr tor Technulory and Adrainistration. SUMMER
American, Univel>ity; lad Coalol is ,u ite prnlcaor in tIre loIhns Ilopkins Pro 1977
gram in Syerms Analyris and Eonounics lor Public )elision Making: and Richard
Churth i aistiíant profesor of