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Effective Emergency Transportation for Saving Human Lives

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  • Yasuko Kuwata
  • Shiro Takada

Abstract

To save lives immediately after a catastrophic earthquake occurs, it is essential for an urban transportation system to retain its functional performance in order to carry injured people to hospitals. Recent seismic assessment studies have mostly been based on cost-benefit analyses, carried out in monetary terms that are reasonable for long-term considerations. However, many problems of seismic risk management still remain. For example, attributing a monetary value to a human life is considered impossible. Also, requirements for functioning of a transportation system are different in the period immediately after an earthquake. This paper concentrates on how to assess the importance of an urban transportation system as it relates to saving human life, and what system enhancements should be made to improve performance. This paper proposes a risk assessment method for the functional reliability of a transportation system immediately after an earthquake. In that period, system malfunction adversely affects the saving of lives as a result of time delays when moving injured people to medical facilities. A system dynamics simulation of transporting injured people is incorporated in the method, which uses two assessment approaches to evaluate the differences of cumulative injured people who receive medical care. In deciding on the destination of medical facility in the simulation, two ways of deciding are addressed; one uses information only on the road network, and the other uses information on both road network and hospital availability. Results of an application to an actual target area show the most vulnerable road links and differences of the two decision-making processes. A way to mitigate the loss due to damage to road links is examined. The paper also summarizes future developments in advanced information technology for emergency transportation systems. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2004

Suggested Citation

  • Yasuko Kuwata & Shiro Takada, 2004. "Effective Emergency Transportation for Saving Human Lives," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 33(1), pages 23-46, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:33:y:2004:i:1:p:23-46
    DOI: 10.1023/B:NHAZ.0000035003.29275.32
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chang, Stephanie E. & Nojima, Nobuoto, 2001. "Measuring post-disaster transportation system performance: the 1995 Kobe earthquake in comparative perspective," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 475-494, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonkman, S.N. & Lentz, A. & Vrijling, J.K., 2010. "A general approach for the estimation of loss of life due to natural and technological disasters," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 95(11), pages 1123-1133.
    2. Timothy J. Eveleigh & Thomas A. Mazzuchi & Shahram Sarkani, 2007. "Spatially‐aware systems engineering design modeling applied to natural hazard vulnerability assessment," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(3), pages 187-202, September.
    3. Jin‐Feng Wang & Lian‐Fa Li, 2008. "Improving Tsunami Warning Systems with Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System Input," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1653-1668, December.
    4. Alan Kirschenbaum, 2021. "Reducing patient surge: community based social networks as first responders," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 108(1), pages 163-175, August.
    5. Zonghao Hou & Juan Zhang & Mingyuan Zhang & Gang Li, 2023. "Hospital-system functionality quantification based on supply–demand relationship under earthquake," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(1), pages 213-234, March.
    6. Yi Lu & Jiuping Xu, 2014. "The progress of emergency response and rescue in China: a comparative analysis of Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 74(2), pages 421-444, November.
    7. Chen, Albert Y. & Yu, Ting-Yi, 2016. "Network based temporary facility location for the Emergency Medical Services considering the disaster induced demand and the transportation infrastructure in disaster response," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 408-423.
    8. Yanbing Ju & Aihua Wang & Tianhui You, 2015. "Emergency alternative evaluation and selection based on ANP, DEMATEL, and TL-TOPSIS," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 75(2), pages 347-379, February.

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