Evaluation of Spatial Distribution and Access Level of Fire Stations in Neyshabur using Network Analysis in GIS

Considering the critical importance of the response time of fire stations in reaching the incident scene and the necessity of examining the spatial distribution of these centers to identify areas lacking standard coverage, the main objective is to determine the spatial-temporal distribution of fire stations in Neyshabur and to designate uncovered areas so that the areas requiring the construction of these centers can be identified as a result.

The method is descriptive-analytical, and data collection was done through library and field sources. The data used in this study includes road data, fire stations, and the boundary of Neyshabur. Subsequently, the spatial-temporal distribution of fire stations along the roads was analyzed using the Network Analysis Extension in ArcGIS 10.8 software.

Research results indicate that the spatial-temporal distribution of fire stations in Neyshabur shows that reaching the incident location within the standard time (4 minutes) is only satisfactory in the city center. However, the western, northern, northwestern, southern, and southwestern outskirts of the city, covered by these centers, are not within the standard time range.

Approximately 25 square kilometers of the city's outskirts are within the inaccessible range of fire stations, while 14 square kilometers from the city center are within the accessible range. Therefore, the priority of constructing new fire stations on the outskirts of the city is well highlighted. It can be concluded that following the horizontal expansion of the city, establishing essential land-uses is of great importance.

Innovation:

 Spatial distribution analysis of fire stations using a Geographic Information System and assessing the accessibility level to the incident site considering constraints. The findings can assist urban managers in the study area in identifying and establishing more numerous and logical fire stations.