Taipei City Fire Department

Yearbook 2009

To create a safer Taipei City, the Taipei City Government actively conducts fire control and disaster campaigns to strengthen fire safety inspections. Fire prevention and simulated drills are held periodically to refine emergency rescue skills.

1. Fire Injury and Death Statistics
251 fires occurred in Taipei City in 2009, resulting in 18 deaths and 13 injuries. Compared with statistics from 2008, the number of fires decreased by 58, the number of deaths increased by 15, and the number of injuries declined by 2.

2. Fire Safety

(1) Fire Safety Equipment Management in Public Places
In Taipei City, 22,484 buildings are for public use, and 25,077 are for public facilities. In 2009, 52,693 inspections/re-inspections were conducted; 44,750 met inspection criteria, whereas 7,943 failed and were asked to improve within a specified time-period. The passing rate was registered at 85%. Those who failed the inspections were watch-listed for re-inspection until all improvements were made to ensure public safety.

(2) Hazardous Material Management
691 locations in Taipei City are watch-listed for housing hazardous material. 3,402 inspections were conducted in 2009; among these, 3,327 met established criteria, and 75 did not. 49 fire safety equipment inspections were administered for gas storage tanks at Taipei City's four natural gas suppliers, and all of them met inspection criteria.

(3) Fire Safety Campaigns Expanded
A. Fire Safety Specialists: Capable fire safety specialists are on the alert around the year to safeguard households and maintain fire control safety. They offer advice on fire-prevention for better precautionary measures. Visits were paid to 34,113 households and 120,213 citizens.
B. Fire Control Awareness Workshops: The workshops were part of the summer camp activities organized by the Taipei Branch of China Youth Corps, and held from July 7 through 17, 2009 at the Fire Safety Museum of the Taipei City Fire Department. Eight workshops were held in total to educate students about disaster prevention and response measures. 960 individuals attended the workshops.

Fire prevention workshop.

C. 119 Fire Prevention Campaign Expansion: On January 18, 2009, the 119 Fire Prevention Campaign Expansion – Overcome Obstacles, Never Give Up, Fire Control Outreach and Communicate Kindness was held at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi's Chantal Plaza Avenue.

119 Fire Prevention Campaign Expansion.

D. Events to Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the 921 Earthquake
(A) The 921 Earthquake Prevention Tour for School Children was held on July 29, 2009.
(B) The Earthquake Disaster Rescue Simulated Drills and the Disaster Prevention Education Fair was held on September 19, 2009.
(C) At 7pm on September 19, 2009, the "nation's first Disaster Prevention Drills in the Park event" was simultaneously held at the Daan Forest Park and Shilin Official Residence. The event lasted until 9pm on September 20 to observe the inauguration of the Emergency Response Center, and simulate a drill for sheltering disaster victims. A memorial ceremony and thanksgiving memorial concert was also held.

921 Thanksgiving and Memorial Concert.

(D) The 921 Earthquake 10th Anniversary Memorial Panel Exhibition was organized from September 21 through October 21.

(4) The 2009 International Symposium on Fire Safety Technology
"The 2009 International Symposium on Fire Safety Technology – Hospital Fire Safety Management and Refuge Response Rescue" was held by the Taipei City Fire Department, the Department of Health, and the National Taiwan University of Technology on November 26 and 27. Medical, firefighting and architecture experts from the UK, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan engaged in interdisciplinary discussions and opinion exchanges, in hopes of enhancing hospital safety.

The 2009 International Symposium on Fire Safety Technology in Taipei.

(5) ISO Standardization for Fire Laboratory
The Fire Laboratory of the Taipei City Fire Department pioneered the country to begin implement the evidence of fire disasters verification laboratory program. It was awarded ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Laboratory Standardization on August 20, 2009. It also won mutual recognition from 58 verification institutions in 46 countries, becoming the nation's first fire agency to pass "trace evidencing at fire disaster scene."

Conferment ceremony for the Fire Laboratory.

3. Disaster Prevention and Rescue
(1) "A Safe Taipei – Strengthening Disaster Prevention Network" won the Executive Yuan's 1st Government Service Quality Award.
The Taipei City Fire Department competed in the Executive Yuan's 1st Government Service Quality Award, with the themed project "A Safe Taipei – Strengthening the Disaster Prevention Network." The project stood out among 150 competitors, and garnered the Award of Excellence in the Service Planning Agency category. The Taipei City Fire Department was also the only fire department to win the award out of 25 counties and cities. The content of the award-winning project featured EOC and Disaster Prevention and Relief Systems of the 12 District Offices and Strengthening the 119 Disaster Rescue Command Mobilization System.

Winning the 1st Government Service Quality Award.

(2) Disaster Prevention and Rescue Performances Top the Country for Six Straight Years
Due to Taipei City's robust disaster prevention readiness, equipment and measures, the National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission under the Executive Yuan has ranked the city's disaster prevention and rescue performances as the best in the country. From 2004 through 2009, for six years in a row; the city was ranked number one in Group A. There are three groups in the country (A, B and C); Group A consists of nine cities and counties, including Taipei County and Taizhong City. Taipei City is the only local administration to win the award of excellence, and ranked number one in all evaluation categories.

(3) Inauguration of Emergency Operations Center in 2009

Disaster Response	Time of Operation	Measures Taken in Taipei City or Disaster Site
H1N1 Emergency Operations Center	From 2pm, April 28 through 5:30pm, June 19	The H1N1 Emergency Operations Center, Level Two was established to activate the epidemic-prevention mechanism. The Departments of Health, Education, Social Welfare, Civil Affairs, Environmental Protection, and the Fire Department, together with the Spokesman Office set up posts in the Center to handle related emergencies.
Typhoon Morkat	From 11am, August 6h through 8:30pm, August 9	One case involving collapsed outer walls of an empty household; power was cut off to 161 sites; water service was cut off to two places; water accumulation was reported in 24 sites; nine residences suffered from flooding; landslide and fallen rocks were reported at 11 locations, road damage was reported at 55 sites; roadside trees collapsed at 464 sites; 81 traffic signals were broken; 120 streetlamps failed; signage fell at 104 sites; 76 power poles were damaged; one case involved emergency rescue, and 264 other incidents.

(4) Rescue Relief Support for the August 8 Flood
Rescue workers and equipment were mobilized from August 8 through October 5 by the Taipei City Government to Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Taitung and other counties for the August 8 Flood rescue relief efforts. A total of 1,843 rescue workers, 343 various vehicles, 33 speedboats, including 9 from the private sector, ten rafts, and 29 mobile water pumps were mobilized to evacuate 607 flood victims. A total of 1,843 rounds of water delivery support were made, and 3,722 people were mobilized.

Rescue relief support for the August 8th Floods.

(5) Large Simulated Exercises
A. Zero-Early-Warning Earthquake Disaster Mobilization Drill On April 20, 2009, the Earthquake Disaster Mobilization Drill was activated without any early-warning alerts. The drill was conducted to test the emergency reporting mechanism, the emergency mobilization capacities of various task forces, and the disaster prevention report system status of the Department of Civil Affairs. Also, disaster prevention mobilization conferences were held via videoconferencing.
B. Cross-District Disaster Prevention and Rescue Drill during the Deaflympics On May 13, 2009, the Cross-District Disaster Prevention and Rescue Drill was held, and conducted in two scenarios simultaneously: The Flood Prevention Drill during the Deaflympics and The Mudslide Evacuation and Shelter Drill during the Deaflympics. The drills aimed at simulating the occurrence of multiple disasters during the Deaflympics, and how disaster relief resources of Taipei City Government's various agencies would be coordinated to strengthen rescue relief effectiveness. The drill also included the handling of possible explosives and unknown chemicals placed in the Deaflympics' primary sports arena.

Flood prevention drill for the Deaflympics.

C. Actual Mobilization for Fire and Anti-Terror Attack Drill On June 25, 2009, the Actual Mobilization Fire and Anti-Terror Attack Drill was conducted at the Taipei Track and Field Stadium, with Hsi-an Yang, Secretary- General of the Taipei City Government, presiding as the event's chief executive. Several scenarios were simulated, including hostage rescues, disaster relief and contamination-neutralization, fire extinguishing and the handling of suspected explosives.

Actual Mobilization Fire and Anti-Terror Attack Drill.

(6) Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team
The Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team has been widely acclaimed by Japanese authorities. The team was invited to partake in the "2009 Integrated Rescue Prevention Drill" in Tokyo from August 26 through 31, 2009, after having participated in the 2007 and 2008 exercises. The team is a powerful testimony to Taipei City's capabilities in executing international humanitarian rescue efforts.

Participation in the 2009 Integrated Rescue Prevention Drill in Tokyo.

(7) The 2009 International Conference on Extraordinary Typhoon and Flood Disaster Prevention
On October 28, 2009, the 2009 International Conference on Extraordinary Typhoon and Flood Disaster Prevention was held at the International Conference Center of National Chengchi University. Disaster prevention experts from the US, Japan and Taiwan jointly discussed disaster response practices for the greater Taipei area when unusually destructive typhoons and floods hit the island.

(8) Golden Phoenix Emergency Medical Service Team
In 2009, the Golden Phoenix Emergency Medical Service Team was mobilized 112,599 times to successfully save the lives of 36 people, who suffered from Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). The average number of emergency procedures performed was 3.161 times/per person.