Assessing the Influence of Epidemics on Firefighter Services: A Factor Analysis Approach
摘要
This study broadens the scope of research into various variable categories and their implications for firefighters. It is motivated by the observation that acute illnesses, while significant for health, are not typically the focus of firefighting interventions. Therefore, the inquiry seeks to understand how these illnesses might impact emergency responses. The study particularly focuses on assessing the influence of epidemics on firefighting interventions, emphasizing their frequency. In France, for example, flu epidemics vary annually due to virus diversity, resulting in a number of medical consultations, hospitalizations, and deaths within a short period according to a public health survey in 2023. This underscores the urgency and importance of the research. Over a nine-year period from 2015 to 2024, our approach involves meticulously preparing data, conducting thorough analyses, and utilizing a predictive model known for its efficiency and robustness. Through an iterative training process, features that enhance RMSE scores over a 24-h horizon are selected, underscoring the vital role of epidemic-related variables across all timeframes. The key insight is that these variables impact firefighting interventions consistently and interdependently, starting with diarrhea, transitioning to flu influence by midday, and concluding with respiratory infections affecting interventions, indicating their significance for predicting outcomes throughout the day. This nuanced understanding of the models associated with the presence or absence of acute illnesses offers practical insights for resource management and firefighting response optimization, potentially saving lives during critical incidents.