Optimal Path of a Single Service Unit on a Network to a “Nonemergency” Destination

This paper focuses on the problem of finding the optimal travel path of a single service unit to nonemergency destinations. Such destinations result from events other than service calls, e.g., repositioning or relocation operations, returning from the scene of the service call to the “home location,” preventive patrol, etc. The analysis is performed on a network model of the urban environment. The time period of interest begins when the service unit starts its travel to a nonemergency destination and ends when the new call for service arrives. The paper contains two models each of which is suitable for a different application. For the two models two different algorithms are presented; one of which is a dynamic programming. These algorithms take into considerations the probabilistic nature of the demand for service. Illustrative examples are also included.