Citation

Chen PA, Wu HT, Hsu YT. J. East Asia Soc. Transp. Stud. 2019; 13: 2598-2613.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies)

DOI

10.11175/easts.13.2598

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Narrow alleys serve as the key factor of fire safety in urban areas. Characterized by high population density and mixed land-use patterns, urban areas--particularly those old and decayed communities--in effect sustain higher fire risk. Moreover, narrow alleys that are impassable for fire engines delay the firefighting operations and rescue, resulting to great loss of life and property. In light of the frequent and repeated fire accidents due to such situation, this research seeks to address the issue of urban fire safety by considering measures to widen narrow alleys or designate emergency passages. Subsequently, the reduction of firefighting response time and the enhancement of overall area fire safety are analyzed. Most previous studies related to fire safety for narrow alleys focus on qualitative and policy-oriented discussions. By contrast, this research proposes a systematic approach that considers both the fire risk of communities/buildings and the current response practices to fire accidents in narrow alleys. An optimization model is developed on the basis of the network design problem, with the objectives to minimize the response time of firefighting operation and increase accessibility to fire scenes. Accordingly, this study aims to determine the narrow alleys of highest criticality and prioritize these areas for improvement (widening) projects. The modeling result and associated analysis are expected to become the reference for near-term or mid-term urban disaster management strategies, or even incorporated into the long-term planning of urban renewal.

Language: en

Keywords

Firefighting; Geographic Information System (GIS); Narrow Alley; Network Design Problem; Response Time; Road Widening