Disaster response center likely to get its own HQ

But, he said the fire and police departments should study the possibility, time and cost of improving facilities and determine whether it was feasible to use the defense site as a temporary rescue command center.

Sun Chih-hong (孫志鴻), group leader of information systems under the program for hazards mitigation at the Office of National Science and Technology, also voiced his opinion.

Citing the example of Osaka in Japan, Sun said, "To reduce the risk involved when large-scale natural disasters hit, it is a must for the city to set up a secondary rescue command center to serve as a spare tire.

"But if the civil defense control center is not an ideal temporary substitute, the city government should seek other possibilities," Sun said.