In disaster, William Lai led
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Hualien County on Wednesday last week has attracted attention from across the world.
Having taken part in the rescue operation after a previous earthquake caused the partial collapse of the Marshal Hotel (統帥大飯店) in Hualien City in 2018, our rescue team from the Fifth Special Police Corps was once again dispatched to assist in a Hualien disaster zone.
Looking out of our truck windows at the sea of warning lights flashing in the darkness, my mind went back to the rescue scene I witnessed in February 2016, when, in the midst of unusually cold weather, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake caused the collapse of the 17-story Weiguan Jinlong (維冠金龍) complex in Tainan’s Yongkang District (永康).
When disaster strikes, the performance of whoever is commanding rescue efforts on the scene is a key factor in their success or failure.
As stated in Sun Tzu’s (孫子) The Art of War (孫子兵法): “No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.”
When faced with a major calamity, some commanders who lack experience angrily blame and scold their subordinates, or, having too much confidence in their own subjective judgement, they might fail to respect the opinions of experts.
In such cases, disagreements in the chain of command could cause confusion, delays and missed opportunities.
During the rescue operation at the Weiguan Jinlong complex, I was assigned to work shifts at the temporary command center where I was responsible for safety management.
Consequently, I was working in close proximity with then-Tainan mayor William Lai (賴清德), who was in overall command of the rescue effort, and who is now the current vice president and president-elect.
What made the deepest impression was Lai’s style of command, with no hint of fear or confusion in the face of this unexpected crisis.
Whenever he received news about someone being rescued or retrieved, be it a survivor, an injured person or a victim who had sadly lost their life, he would go in person to the security cordon to see what was happening.
In the midst of such bone-chilling weather, his intense concern brought a feeling of warmth.
Notably, in such a rugged and dangerous environment, with jagged iron bars sticking out from rubble that one could only clamber over, Lai still braved the cold to venture forth dozens of times.
One reporter noticed that Lai’s sneakers were worn out and in tatters.
Initial, interim and concluding reports are important aspects of handling disaster scenes.
At the time, Lai calmly, frankly and promptly informed disaster victims’ relatives and reporters at the scene about every stage of the rescue operation as well as what the rescue team’s next steps would be.
Thanks to Lai’s approach, everyone was fully informed and had confidence in the rescue effort.
No wonder that Lai’s calm and organized style of command came to mind again eight years later, at the scene of last week’s earthquake in Hualien.
Chen Hsueh-chiang,
Kaohsiung
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