GIS-Based Route Optimisation for Emergency Response in Kaduna State

Timely emergency response is a life-saving priority in urban and peri-urban environments where traffic congestion and poor road conditions impede ambulance and fire service deployment. This study applies GIS network analysis to optimise emergency response routes for ambulance services in Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State. A routable road network is constructed from OpenStreetMap data, validated through field surveys, and attributed with road condition and speed limit data. Response time surfaces are computed from the locations of existing emergency facilities including Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital and the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency headquarters. Coverage gap analysis identifies residential zones with response times exceeding the 8-minute threshold. Location-allocation modelling identifies three optimal positions for additional emergency service stations that would maximise population coverage within 8 minutes. Results demonstrate that optimised routing can reduce average response times by 31 percent compared to current practices. Keywords: emergency response, GIS, route optimisation, Kaduna, network analysis