Taipei City Fire Department

The Taipei City Fire Department (TFD) held its 176th Medical Advisory Committee meeting on the 15th at its headquarters, where appointment letters were presented to the 13th Medical Advisory Committee members. The committee welcomed new members including Dr. Chun-Chieh Chao, Director of Taipei Medical University Hospital, and Dr. Yen-Chia Chen, Director of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

This term's committee comprises 18 distinguished members, including 16 deputy superintendents, emergency department directors, and attending physicians from 12 emergency responsibility hospitals in Taipei City, such as National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Tri-Service General Hospital, Shin Kong Hospital, Cathay General Hospital, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Wan Fang Hospital, Shuang Ho Hospital, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, and Taipei City Hospital's Zhongxiao and Songde branches. The committee also includes the Director of Medical Affairs Division, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Chief of Medical Affairs Management Section of Taipei City Health Department.

Since establishing the "Golden Phoenix Dedicated Ambulance Team" on June 1, 1999, TFD pioneered the formation of the Medical Advisory Committee in November 2000. Over the past 24 years, the medical team has worked tirelessly to strengthen the chain of survival, implementing comprehensive measures across planning, education, execution, and quality control aspects. They serve as a crucial bridge between frontline EMTs, hospitals, and the fire department, effectively integrating healthcare and emergency response systems.

Under the leadership of Honorary Chairman Dr. Hui-Ming Ma (Superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch), the Emergency Medical Service Division achieved significant recognition, including the Best Institution Award at the 6th Asian Emergency Medicine Conference in 2023. In 2024, TFD continued to excel, with its innovative Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) - combining police, fire, and health services - winning the City Government's Special Excellence Award for Cross-Domain Integration. The Emergency Medical Training Academy also received the 2024 EMS Golden Tung-Tung Award from the Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine.

Led by current Chairman Dr. Pin-Chou Li, the committee established three specialized groups focusing on research review, standard operating procedures for emergency medical treatment, and quality control of medical equipment and specifications. Beyond monitoring EMS quality indicators, they developed the "Critical Illness Integration System," optimized Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) treatment protocols, and piloted pre-hospital ECMO team notifications. The department's 5G telemedicine system has successfully expanded to outlying islands including Penghu and Matsu, enhancing emergency medical care in remote areas.

Notably, TFD's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team has successfully resuscitated and discharged 1,691 patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, restoring hope and joy to 1,691 families. Under the Mayor's leadership, Taipei City has actively promoted municipal developments and achieved remarkable results. In Common Wealth Magazine's "2024 County/City Overall and Sustainable Competitiveness Survey," Taipei City claimed seven first-place titles and was crowned the overall champion nationwide. Among the 12 subcategories, Taipei City ranked first among the six special municipalities in both "Public Safety and Fire Protection" and "Healthcare Services."

Looking ahead, TFD will continue to enhance the professional training and technical proficiency of its EMS personnel while striving to improve the quality of emergency medical services, aiming to save more lives in critical conditions. The Taipei City Government remains committed to advancing its vision of becoming a "Sustainable, Inclusive, and Hopeful Capital," working to transform Taipei into a "City of Sports, Safety, and Future"!