The Use of Linear Programming for Determining Number of Fire-Fighters on Shifts in Case of Special Events

Abstract

This paper focuses on finding the most suitable number of fire-fighters who will be engaged on special events, such as concerts, sport tournaments, music events or similar events, while at the same time ensuring the number of fire-fighters in a particular fire station for each shift will be enough to ensure the overall social welfare of a community and remain at the lowest possible costs. Due to the risk of fire and other public welfare risks, it is often common fire-fighters are required to be engaged in special events with their duty primarily at those special event locations. Their main task certainly is to protect all people in a community and its assets by quick response in case of an emergency. Consequently, it remains necessary to provide a sufficient number of fire-fighters who will remain at the fire station so that they meet the standard requirements of them during each shift. In cases of temporary absences and permanent attrition in the fire-fighter workforce, sometimes commanders need to use overtime and hiring of additional fire-fighters to satisfy the needs of organizers of special events. In those situations, they also have to think about minimizing total staffing costs and budget restraints. This paper uses linear programming to develop a model for determining the optimal number of fire-fighters to have on staff during additional demands of special events still covering the standard emergency coverage within a community. Also, the aim of this paper is to present a model which will facilitate the decisions of commanders of fire stations when determining the number of fire-fighters required for ordinary and extraordinary activities.