The Formosa Republican Association (FRA), a non-governmental organization, held a series of large civil defense exercises in Nantou County over the weekend, bringing together about 100 participants to practice essential skills aimed at building grassroots resilience against war and natural disasters.
More than 10 civil defense groups from across Taiwan took part in the two-day drills at the National Fire Agency’s Training Center.
On Saturday, the first day of training, participants were divided into groups based on their specialities and assigned to scenarios requiring them to provide medical care to personnel injured in battle, evacuate wounded civilians and manage disruptions from hecklers, among other tasks.
Photo: CNA
Under the direction of a command center, the groups coordinated their actions in response to various scenarios, but appeared flustered at first.
After a break, participants reviewed the drills they had completed and discussed ways to improve.
In subsequent exercises, they handled tasks such as transporting and sheltering the injured with greater composure and confidence.
The second day began with drills focused on transporting injured soldiers from the battlefield to medical stations behind the front lines.
In another scenario, participants searched for and rescued semi-conscious or injured people trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building following a missile strike, transporting them to shelters or emergency medical stations.
Participants also tested their ability to manage an overcrowded medical station overwhelmed with casualties.
Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shyh-yuan (馬士元), National Fire Agency head Hsiao Huan-chang (蕭煥章), members of the Presidential Office’s Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee and several retired military generals observed the drills.
In his remarks at the event, Ma said that all participants were members of private-sector civil defense groups, which is an indication of the public’s determination to resist external threats against Taiwan’s military, freedom and democracy.
He expressed hope for greater public participation in such activities, saying it would help build greater societal resilience.
FRA chairman Jason Chen (陳彥升) said that the threat posed by China was growing, and civilians should be prepared to serve as a backup for the armed forces in the event of war or natural disasters,so that the country can better channel its strengths.
The FRA, a non-governmental organization that promotes political conservatism and national security, organized the event to help society prepare for times when its strength might be needed, Chen said, adding that the association is planning to hold more drills across Taiwan.
On Sunday, Lucy Liu (劉玉皙), a member of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, gave a briefing to staff members from the Japanese, Canadian and Dutch representative offices in Taiwan, who were present to observe the drills.
Liu said there were about 20 civil defense groups in Taiwan — not including the Kuma Academy and the Forward Alliance, which are larger organizations — that offer training in fitness, combat, shelter management, first aid and drone operation.
Chen Jung-pin (陳榮彬), a member of a New Taipei City-based civil defense group, told the Central News Agency that he found the after-action review particularly useful, adding that conducting a joint exercise involving different groups allowed members to network and familiarize themselves with each other’s resources, so they could collaborate instead of “going it alone.”
Yu Tsung-chi (余宗基), a retired army major general and special consultant for the FRA, said that armed forces are training to rapidly assume defensive positions in the event that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army shifts from a military exercise to a surprise attack.
In such a scenario, joint civil defense drills would also help shorten civilian response times and streamline necessary actions, Yu said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
RSS