Location and cost of ambulances serving a rural area.

A location model is used to determine the most efficient (i.e., least-cost) number and location of ambulance facilities in a rural area. The model incorporates response time and service time standards into the analysis and indicates the trade-off between costs and various time standards. The financial feasibility of individual facility locations is then analyzed. The results indicate why many rural areas depend on volunteer or part-time purveyors of emergency medical transportation.