Title: Performance efficiency and resource allocation strategy for fire department with the stochastic consideration

Authors: Chun-Hsiung Lan, Liang-Lun Chuang, Yung-Fang Chen

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Nanhua University, No. 32 Chungkeng, Dalin, Chiayi 622, Taiwan, ROC. ' Management Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Nanhua University, No. 380 Sansing Street, Sinying City, Tainan County 73051, Taiwan, ROC. ' Department of Geography, Environment, and Disaster Management, Coventry University, GE412, CV1 5FB, UK

Abstract: This research adopted the stochastic Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to analyse future performance efficiency through a two-staged problem solving procedure design. In Stage 1, the random production value is applied and then the future performance efficiency of firefighting branches of Tainan County is discussed using DEA. In Stage 2, efficiency improvement and resource allocation are conducted by through a future production trend analysis, and the future optimised scale of firefighting human resources allocation is determined by using the Group-Number Efficiency Scale Approach (GESA). In addition, based on the future trend evaluation, this study can provide suitable response strategies for firefighting human resources allocation for decision makers. Moreover, this study provides a referenced constructive and quantitative approach for solving the current problem of |how to plan the future resources for optimisation|.

Keywords: data envelopment analysis; stochastic DEA; omit resource approach; ORA; multi-stage resource allocation; MSRAA; three-point estimate; group-number efficiency scale; GESA; fire department; performance efficiency; resource allocation; firefighting; Taiwan; human resources.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2009.028920

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2009 Vol.9 No.3, pp.296 - 315

Published online: 11 Oct 2009 *

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