Ministry of National Defense News Reference Materials

Time: May 14^th, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

1. Press Conference Topic:

Explanation on “2019 Implementation and Overview of Disaster Prevention, Response, and Preparedness”

2. Host: Military Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense – Major General Chen Zhong-Ji

3. Attendees:

Director of the Joint Combat Department of Operation and Planning Room – Major General Ye Guo-Hui

4. “Armed Forces 2019 Disaster Prevention, Response, and Preparedness Work Report” Information:

1. Preface

Being a member of the government’s governance team, the Armed Forces upholds the belief of love the people and help the people including “They are Hungry, We are Hungry”, “They are Drowning, We are Drowning”, and “Proving Swift Assistance” during disasters to actively assist local governments to implement disaster prevention and response procedures in order to reduce losses on citizens’ lives and property. The following paragraphs will talk about affairs regarding disaster relief and resource preparedness.

2. Diaster Relief Troops Preparedness

(1) Preset Troops:

The Armed Forces has completed disaster relief troops with 1,844 soldiers 24 hours before the landing of typhoons for areas that are prone to landslide and flood. The Republic of China Marine Corps plans to preset its AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicle at Su’ao of Yilan, Xiahuxi of Taoyuan, and Zuoying of Kaohsiung 36 hours before typhoon. Each combat area is able to dispatch approximately 39K of soldiers immediately.

(2) Special Forces Preparedness:

R.O.C. Army Special Forces Command and Marine Corps have compiled 22 intelligence units that consist a total of 135 soldiers, who carry equipment including satellite phones, GPS positioners, and radiophones, are able to assist with implementation of resident evacuation, gathering of disaster intelligence, emergency rescue, and directing disaster relief troops, with additional troops added according to subsequent disaster development.

(3) Dispatch of Liaison Officers:

Each combat area (defense command) in the main and offshore islands of Taiwan plans to dispatch 808 liaison officers to 22 cities (counties) and 368 districts, villages, townships during disaster prevention and evacuation to assist with local governments on applying for troops, as well as execute disaster intelligence gathering missions with local police and fire department.

(4) Medical Marshaling Preparedness:

In order to elevate the capability in disaster rescue and emergency care, Armed Forces hospital sand health troops of each level have already compiled 154 disaster relief medical units that consist of 525 members, along with completing relevant preparedness procedures in materials carrying. The units will arrive at disaster areas immediately during disasters to assist with the medical care and evacuation of patients.

(5) Epidemic Prevention and Disinfection Preparedness:

To effectively respond to epidemic prevention, the Ministry of National Defense has integrated the professional chemical troops of the Armed Forces, and has completed the preparedness on personnel, equipment, and machinery, which is able to provide more than 2,300 disaster prevention soldiers to assist with local governments on epidemic prevention in order to prevent epidemic from spreading.

(6) Disaster Relief Psychological Counseling Preparedness:

There are a total of 346 staffs from each level of Armed Forces psychology and health centers, and each combat area is able to instantly integrate counseling officers in the area during major disasters and establish a “Psychology and Health Center for Major Disasters” that implements psychological counseling (consolation) together with civil welfare and charitable organizations for disaster relieving soldiers and officers as well as victims.

3. Disaster Relief Resources Preparedness:

(1) Equipment Preparedness:

The Armed Forces has completed disaster relief preparedness on a total of more than 1,500 lightweight & heavy engineering and human life search and rescue machinery including more than 2,000 wheeled vehicles, more than 300 armored cars, 11 aircrafts, 107 plastic boats and multi-functional sapper cars, excavators, and life detectors, which can be used for disaster relief immediately when encountering major disasters.

(2) Shelter Camps Preparedness:

By responding to general and composite disasters, each combat area adheres to the principal of adopting low density (with beds, 9,243 individuals) and high density (without beds, 17,644 individuals) when planning for the shelter camp area that is able to shelter more than 26,887 citizens in a total of 80 locations that can be applied from local governments.

4. Disaster Prevention and Response Exercise and Training

(1) Disaster Prevention and Response Drills21 municipal, county (city) governments have conducted disaster prevention and response drills before the flood season this year (2019) according to the planning of the Executive Yuan, and among them, 11 counties (cities) including Taipei City have integrated the All-Out Defense Mobilization drill with the disaster prevention drill. The Armed Forces has dispatched more than 1,600 soldiers, 212 vehicles, and 245 units of machinery to cooperate with the drills in order to strengthen the rapport with local governments in implementing disaster prevention and response.

(2) Disaster Prevention Faculty Cultivation:

In order to elevate the disaster prevention and response skills of the Armed Forces, voluntary soldiers and officers who have executed disaster relief missions in each troop are chosen to participate the “Armed Forces Seed Integrated Training Class for Major Disasters” of the National Fire Agency Training Center, which has already trained 1,657 individuals between 2010 and 2018. The training class plans to train 120 individuals this year (2019) in order to fulfill the requirements of extended training.

5. Conclusion

The Armed Forces actively strengthens various disaster prevention preparedness before the flood season, and upholds the spirit of “disaster relief is combat” to initiate instant “march towards disaster areas and be with the citizens” during disasters in order to demonstrate the performance of “disaster relief during disasters, and fight during combat”, ensuring the safety of citizens’ lives and property.