This paper presents a methodology for evaluating emergency preparedness for hazardous materials transportation. Emergency preparedness is measured in terms of response times, number of response units, and capabilities of initial responders. The first responder to an accident could be the police, highway patrol, ambulance, or fire units. The analysis involves identification of emergency response units, and their locations, determination of service zones, and evaluation of response capability. Knowledge of the capability of the response units is useful not only for evaluating units requiring capability upgrade but more importantly, for identifying specialized units for deployment.
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