LGG System for Emergency Response Applications

Abstract

In an emergency situation, time is of the essence because a few seconds can make a significant difference in the outcome of a rescue effort. It is, therefore, important to provide rescue personnel the best available amenity to minimize travel time. The Global Positioning System (GPS) in conjunction with geographic information system (GIS) technology provides real‐time navigation information that has proven to be effective in reducing travel time. In this paper, we explore how a land use‐transportation system (LUTS) can be interfaced with currently used integrated GIS/GPS (GG) technology to determine the optimum path of travel for a given origin‐destination (O‐D) pair in a “congested” transportation network. The paper then discusses how the resulting system (LGG system) can be integrated with the information system component of “intelligent” rescue vehicles to minimize emergency response time. The LGG system can also be used by other service agencies, such as taxi and delivery services, for which minimization of travel time is essential.