Location and hierarchical allocation disaster with combined ε-constraint and simulation-based optimization approach

The increasing frequency of natural disasters and the necessity of proper planning to minimize the impact and casualties of such crises have always been matters of great concern to human societies. In this study, a hybrid mathematical-simulative location-allocation model is proposed to carry out disaster management (DM) efforts with maximum coverage in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake. The proposed model consists of two phases: determining the optimal location of the temporary emergency stations (TECs), followed by optimal and hierarchical allocation of casualties to said temporary medical centers (TMCs). Given the contradictory nature of the model’s two objectives, that is, minimizing the cost of setting up TMCs and the time taken to transfer casualties to TMC. In the second phase, a simulation-based optimization approach is employed to simulate casualties’ behavior at the onset of the disaster and to determine the optimal capacity of the medical centers. The findings indicate that the costs and distance traveled by casualties during the earthquake have been reduced by 15%.