Fire Safety, Disaster Prevention and Rescue
A “Safe Taipei” intends to create a safer Taipei City. To this end, the Taipei City Government actively conducts fire control and disaster campaigns to strengthen fire-safety inspections. The establishment of a more robust disaster-response network will give rise to upgraded emergency rescue relief, refined skills and performance in dispensing emergency first aid care.
1. Fire Injury and Death Statistics
In 2010, 236 fires broke out in Taipei City, resulting in four deaths and thirteen injuries. Compared with statistics from 2009, the number of fires decreased by fifteen cases, and the number of deaths was down by fourteen.
2. Fire Safety
(1) Fire Safety Equipment Management in Public Places
In Taipei City, 23,239 buildings are registered for public use, and 25,671 are for public facilities. In 2010, 51,506 inspections/re-inspections were conducted; 44,412 met inspection criteria, with the passing rate registered at 86.23%. Those who failed the inspections were put on a watch list for re-inspection until all improvements were made to ensure public safety.
(2) Hazardous Material Management
In 2010, 740 locations in Taipei City were put on a watch list for housing hazardous material; 3,926 inspections were conducted; among these, 3,851 met established criteria. Also, 50 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) Implementing the Fire Safety Management System
The Taipei City Government has established Fire Safety Managers in a total of 4,830 in the watch listed places. In 2010, Fire-Safety Managers were chosen and assigned for 4,816 places on a watch list for which the fire protection plan had been drafted. Also, 1,853 of the places on a watch list handled self-defense firefighting training under the supervision of relevant agencies; self-defense firefighting drills were held at 436 locations in 194 buildings, all of which were in line with regulations.
(4) Fire Safety Campaigns Expanded
A. Fire Safety Specialists
Capable fire safety specialists make their way into the community to provide pragmatic advice on fire prevention for better fire prevention measures. In 2010, visits were paid to 30,116 households and 102,134 residents.
B. Disaster Prevention Campaigns
Held on February 27, 2010 on the pedestrian walk in Ximending, the “Spring Fortune Disaster Prevention” processional campaign, regaled with parades and carnival activities, served as a vivid reminder to residents during the joyous Chinese New Year to stay alert with regard to home safety
precautions.
C. 119 Fire Prevention Campaign
On January 19, 2010, the 119 Fire Prevention Campaign was held at the Shenpaochen Hall in Taipei City Hall, with the theme connected to the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, “Seeing Beauty and Hope-I Love Taipei”. The purpose was to educate citizens on disaster and fire prevention awareness as part of the campaign to create a safe and worry-free city.
119 Fire Prevention Campaign Promotion Activities
(5) Fire Office Building Renovation
A. Due to construction limitation regulations on Shetzu Island, many buildings are not equipped with protection facilities, leading to potential fire-safety concerns. To boost the fire rescue capacity on ShetzuIsland, the Taipei City Fire Department has set up a temporary base for the Fuan Fire Brigade; the new building of the Fuan Fire Brigade was officially inaugurated on August 21, 2010.
B. In response to the rapid development in Nankang region, which the houses in Nankang Software Park, the Taipei World Trade CenterExhibition Hall 2, and Academia Sinica,the Taipei City Fire Department Fire has strengthened the fire rescue capacity of the area by setting up the Chengde Fire Brigade. The 2nd floor serves as a subsidiary classroom of the Chengde Community Center, establishing a good rapport between the brigade and the neighborhoods. The new building of the Chengde Fire Brigade was officially inaugurated on December 19, 2010.
Facade of the new building of the Taipei City Fire Department Chengde Brigade.
3. Disaster Prevention and Rescue
(1) Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients Successfully Discharged Exceeded 300
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Golden Phoenix Emergency Medical Service Team, more than 300 patients were successfully discharged from Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) from June 1, 1999 to December 2010. In celebration, the Taipei City Fire Department organized a thanksgiving event on October 1, 2010 at the Shenpaochen Hall in Taipei City Hall, presided over by President Ma Ying-jeou and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin. Besides the patients’ expressions of heartfelt gratitude to the EMTs, firefighters and public interest groups, celebratory blessings were given to the “reborn” patients and their family members. Since the inception of the rescue team, a total of 310 persons have been successfully revived from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and successfully discharged.
(2) Disaster Prevention and Rescue Drills
In the face of disastrous floods and landslides brought on by typhoons, the 2010 Disaster Prevention and Rescue Drill was held on April 15, 2010 at the Taipei City Emergency Operation Center, the Tzu Chi Recycling Plant at Nehu, and Meiti Riverside Park. The drill showcased the effective integration of administrative, police, fire, military and public resources for district-level command and rescue response capabilities and cross-region support performance.
Disaster Prevention and Landslide Rescue Drills.
(3) The 8th Asian Crisis Management Conference
Held on September 17 and 18 at the Grand Hotel, the 8th Asian Crisis Management Conference was attended by representatives from six cities—Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Central disaster prevention and rescue units in Taiwan and regional development partner units in eight counties in Northern Taiwan,as well as universities with related majors also participated in the event. It is hoped that through international exchanges, more effective joint prevention mechanisms can be established.
The 8th Asian Crisis Management Conference.
(4) Rescue Relief Support
A. When Typhoon Fanapi ravaged Southern Taiwan from September 20 to 27, the Taipei City Government mobilized the Taipei City Fire Department,the Hydraulic Engineering Office of the Public Works Department, the Department of Environmental Protection and Wenshan District Office, Taipei City together with rescue equipment, to Kaohsiung and Pingtung areas for disaster relief. A total of 97 persons were dispatched; 35 vehicles of various kinds, 65 mobile water pumps and two generators were used in the relief support.
B. When Typhoon Megi wreaked havoc in Yilan from October 21 to November 3, the Taipei City Government mobilized a total of 458 persons in 17 groups, from the Taipei City Fire Department,Department of Environmental Protection, and the Hydraulic Engineering Office of the Public Works.
Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team assisting in disaster relief in Yilan in the wake of Typhoon Megi
Table 1: Emergency Operations Center in 2010 in Taipei City
Disaster Response | Time of Operation | Disaster Statistics in Taipei City |
Typhoon Namtheun | 24:00, August 30 through 18:00,August 31 | Power was cut off to 5 sites; flooding was reported at 3 sites; 1 residence suffered from flooding; landslide and fallen rocks were reported at 2 locations, road damage was reported at 5 sites; roadside trees collapsed at 20 sites; 3 traffic signals were damaged; 2 streetlamps failed;signage fell at 1 site; 1 power pole was damaged; and there were 13 other incidents. |
Typhoon Fanapi | 24:00, September 17 through 08:00, September 20 | One case of house building collapse; power was cut off to 108 sites; phone service was cut off to 2 places; 1 gas leakage; flooding was reported at 6 sites; 4 residences suffered from flooding; landslide and fallen rocks were reported at 1 location, road damage was reported at 4 sites; roadside trees collapsed at 523 sites; 53 traffic signals were damaged; 57 streetlamps failed; signage fell at 223 sites; 39 power poles were damaged; 1 case involved fire rescue, and 317 other incidents. |
Typhoon Megi | 18:00, October 21 through 21:00, October 22 | 1. A total of 89 cars and 36 motorcycles were flood damaged in the Sanjiaodu parking lot located at the right bank of the Bailing Riverside Park and Shangyou parking lot at the left bank since the drivers failed to relocate their vehicles before the water gates were closed. 2. Flooding was reported at 14 sites; 1 residence suffered from flooding; landslide and fallen rocks were reported at 4 locations, road damage was reported at 13 sites; road-side threes collapsed at 10 sites; 2 traffic signals were damaged; 3 streetlamps failed; signage fell at 2 sites; 3 power poles were damaged; and 25 other incidents. |
Department, sending 180 vehicles of all kinds, 10 rubber rafts, eight four-inch mobile water pumps and four disaster search dogs to assist in the relief in Yilan. |
Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team providing humanitarian relief in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.
Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team attending the 2010 Comprehensive Disaster Training and Maneuvers in Tokyo, Japan.
(5) Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team
A. Disaster Relief in Haiti
A catastrophic magnitude-7.0 earthquake slammed the Republic of Haiti on January 13, 2010, with casualties in the tens of thousands. The Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team immediately mobilized twelve rescue members, who teamed up with fifteen Red Cross volunteers and six medical personnel from the Tri-Service General Hospital to provide humanitarian aid to Haiti from January 15 to 25; the rescue team helped to locate twenty victims and indirectly rescued seven survivors.
B. Participation in Dubai Exhibition
From April 4 to 6, 2010, a delegation consisting of representatives from the Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan), and National Fire Agency, of the Ministry of the Interior participated in the 2010 Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD 2010).
C. Invitation to Participate in International Rescue Maneuvers
The professional competence of the Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team has been greatly recognized in Japan. For four consecutive years since 2007, the team was once again invited to partake in the “2010 Comprehensive Disaster Training and Maneuvers” in Tokyo on August 29, 2010.
D. Enhancement of Search Rescue Dog Team Capabilities at Disaster Sites
From October 7 to 15, 2010, the Search Rescue Dog Team attended the 2010 National Disaster Rescue Dog Evaluation Workshop at the Kaohsiung City Government Search and Rescue Dog Center.
Tanya, a rescue dog groomed in Taipei City, successfully passed the B-Level (Advanced) Test of the International Rescue-Dog Organization (IRO); as of now, a total of three search and rescue dogs on the team have passed the B-Level (Advanced) Test.
(6) Taipei’s First Bike Rescue Team
Taipei City’s first Bike Rescue Team was founded on August 21, 2010 in Shetzu Island; the Team offers emergency first aid to people with injuries in the shortest time possible. On the same day, the “Fuan Bike Supply Shop” was opened in the Taipei City Fire Department Fuan Brigade to provide temporary rest and recharging services, as well as useful information on bicycle routes.
(7) Technology Exchange on Large-scale Flood Evacuation Operations
From October 18 to 20, 2010, the Large-scale Flood Evacuation Drill was held at the Emergency Operations Center of Taipei City, where Shiraishi Masahiro, deputy officer of the Japanese Cabinet Office in charge of disaster-response planning, was invited to introduce, share and exchange real-life evacuation operations in Japan, and issues related to complementary mechanisms and technical measures.