Today is the 20th anniversary of the 921 Earthquake. At 1:47am in the small hours of Sept. 21, 1999, a major earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter magnitude scale, hit central Taiwan, causing massive damage and many injuries and fatalities.
In order to remember the 921 earthquake, the government has set aside Sept. 21 as an annual National Disaster Preparedness Day, to enhance the public’s disaster response capabilities.
Since 2004, the Taipei City Government Department of Education has been organizing many disaster response events every year, and has designated certain preschools for disaster response education, together with drafting a set of disaster response guidelines for use in drills for a range of different disaster scenarios. These drills allow teachers and students to learn how to act in disasters and to keep themselves safe, giving them a basic understanding of disaster response principles.
Photo courtesty of the Nantou Forest District Office
照片：南投林管處提供
(Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
今天是九二一大地震二十週年。一九九九年九月二十一日深夜一時四十七分，台灣中部發生芮氏七點三的強震，造成極大傷亡。
為記取九二一大地震的教訓，政府將每年九月二十一日定為「國家防災日」，以提升各界對地震等災害的應變能力。
Photo courtesy of Chien Ching-nan
照片：簡慶南提供
台北市教育局從二○○四年起，每年辦理多場防災知能研習，並甄選防災教育種子園、擬定災害防救計畫，設計不同災害情境腳本進行演練，讓師生學習如何防災避難與自救，具備基礎防災素養。
（自由時報記者蔡亞樺）
Photo courtesy of Chien Ching-nan
照片：簡慶南提供
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government Department of Education
照片：台北市教育局提供
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