Using GIS in Disaster Response Operations

Earthquakes come first compared with other disasters concerning casualties and economic losses. Thousands of people need heath and logistic support after earthquakes. Therefore, legal authorities focus on finding best locations for logistics depots to reach the demand points as soon as possible. Linear and non-linear models are used to find depot locations. In this study, alternatively, geographic information system (GIS) is used to find the optimal locations of depots among candidates. A new model is introduced which cover the earthquake effects while estimating the vehicle speeds on road segments. Optimal locations of depots are found both with and without including the earthquake effects on vehicle speeds and travel times on the road segments in order to compare the results. A case study is applied for Bahçelievler town in Istanbul. Three depot locations are found among 21 candidate locations (facilities) for 62 estimated demand points. The results show that the depot locations are not necessarily the same whether the earthquake effects on travel times are included or not.