title: Location of Road Emergency Stations in Fars Province, Using Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Making.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To locate the road emergency stations in Fars province based on using spatial multi-criteria decision making (Delphi method).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the criteria affecting the location of road emergency stations have been identified through Delphi method and their importance was determined using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). With regard to the importance of the criteria and by using Geographical Information System (GIS), the appropriateness of the existing stations with the criteria and the way of their distribution has been explored, and the appropriate arenas for creating new emergency stations were determined. In order to investigate the spatial distribution pattern of the stations, Moran's Index was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The accidents (0.318), placement position (0.235), time (0.198), roads (0.160), and population (0.079) were introduced as the main criteria in location road emergency stations. The findings showed that the distribution of the existing stations was clustering (Moran's I=0.3). Three priorities were introduced for establishing new stations. Some arenas including Abade, north of Eghlid and Khoram bid, and small parts of Shiraz, Farashband, Bavanat, and Kazeroon were suggested as the first priority.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GIS is a useful and applicable tool in investigating spatial distribution and geographical accessibility to the setting that provide health care, including emergency stations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Science, College of Social Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goli
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, School of Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Najmeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ansarizade
authors.affiliation: School of Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Barati
authors.affiliation: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kavosi
keywords: Analytical hierarchical process; Geographical information system; Road emergency stations; Spatial autocorrelation