Date of Award

3-26-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Operations Research

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Brian J. Lunday, PhD.

Abstract

The Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Response Enterprise (CRE) exists to rapidly respond to a domestic CBRN attack in order to minimize the overall impact of an incident. Over the past 16 years, the CRE has grown incrementally, and it is unclear if the current locations of units optimizes the coverage of the US population within a rapid response window. In this paper we develop a multi-objective multi-service extension of the maximal covering location problem (MCLP) to analyze the current coverage provided by the CRE and recommend efficient modifications to better protect the American population. While public sector facility location problems are well studied, the significant damage created by a CBRN attack requires unique modeling considerations. Most notably, we model the impact to coverage when CRE units within a minimum stand-off distance are rendered non-functional by a CRBN attack using an adaptation of the conditional covering problem (CCP). This minimum stand-off distance is not currently a consideration in existing Department of Defense (DoD) doctrine or planning guidance, but through a comparison to the current DoD definition of coverage we demonstrate the value of incorporating this concept into future planning considerations. Finally, we account for the multi-objective nature of this problem by developing a set of non-inferior solutions that allow a decision maker to apply their judgment to balance the trade-off between coverage and cost.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-MS-15-M-143

DTIC Accession Number

ADA622525

Share

COinS