Post-disaster restoration of telecom services should be as swift as the restorations of water and power supplies, President William Lai (賴清德) said as he observed disaster response drills in Yilan County yesterday.
Large-scale disaster relief drills simulating a tsunami triggered by an earthquake were held from Wednesday to yesterday in the county, with more than 1,300 people mobilized from the government, military, private businesses, non-governmental organizations and volunteer organizations.
Attendees included representatives of foreign missions in Taiwan and rescue personnel from 14 countries.
Photo: Yu Ming-chin, Taipei Times
All the drills used real-world locations and objects, and were conducted with an unscripted, semi-warning approach.
The drills simulated a tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Ryukyu Trench, which struck the county’s Wuchieh (五結) and Jhuangwei (壯圍) townships 20 minutes later. The Yilan Sports Park (宜蘭運動公園) was the assembly point for rescue personnel.
Dozens of domestic search-and-rescue teams, along with those from the Philippines, Japan and the UK, headed to various locations, such as a quarry in Yuanshan Township (員山) or Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corp’s (台灣化學纖維) plant at the Longte Industrial Park (龍德工業區), to carry out search-and-rescue operations.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
They not only rescued people trapped in rolled-over vehicles, but also destroyed actual buildings for search-and-rescue purposes.
Taiwan has experienced multiple disasters over the past few years, which have enhanced the public’s awareness of disaster prevention, Lai said.
The central and local governments collaborated to conduct the drills, aiming to minimize the harm from disasters and the time required for post-disaster reconstruction, he said, expressing thanks to the international community for helping Taiwan improve its disaster prevention and response capabilities.
The Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee has been set up to bolster the nation’s resilience through collective efforts by people from different fields in Taiwan, Lai said.
He cited as an example a portable water purification system developed by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, which could help with water demand during disasters.
As power outages caused by Typhoon Danas in Tainan and other areas disrupted telecom services in July, and the National Fire Agency has developed 5G networks jointly with the private sector, the restoration of telecom services after disasters should be stepped up in line with that of water and power supplies, Lai said.
The Ministry of National Defense’s Military Medicine Bureau has also integrated smart technologies jointly with the private sector to enable collaborations via online communications between battlefields and medical centers, he said.
The committee has commissioned the ministry to issue an all-out defense brochure that includes safety guidelines about typhoons, earthquakes and geopolitical emergencies, Lai said, adding that families would be given at least one copy.
Taiwan has achieved several milestones in disaster prevention infrastructure, such as the establishment of early warning systems for mobile phones and emergency alert systems on TVs, which help people know they need to take shelter within a short time, he said.
People are also advised to learn basic first aid skills, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or bandaging, to protect themselves and help others, Lai added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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