Abstract

The study aims to enhance the emergency response capability of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) in Lipa, Batangas, a critical component in the management and mitigation of emergency situations. The office encounters significant challenges, including limited personnel and resources, which impede simultaneous responses to various incidents. These challenges are further compounded by long travel times due to geographical distances and road traffic. To address these challenges, the study proposes the strategic expansion of the emergency response units across the city. Binary integer programming (BIP) was utilized to identify the optimal locations for establishing additional posts, while network analysis utilizing Google Earth Pro and Maps was used to identify efficient routes. A streamlined emergency response system was developed using Excel’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), integrating the optimal post locations and routing data to facilitate real-time emergency reporting and response coordination. The analysis identified a need for a minimum of seven (7) posts in specific barangays across the city to cover all potential incident locations within an 8-minute response time. Additionally, alternative posts were designated to handle simultaneous cases. The results of the study are validated through Monte Carlo simulation and hypothesis testing. Thus, the strategic placement of additional posts and the development of a system can significantly enhance the emergency response capability of the CDRRMO, resulting in a notable reduction in response time.