1. Introduction:

Assisting all government level to “prevent and rescue disasters” is a critical task of the national army, and due to the incoming of flood and typhoon season, the Ministry have completed the deployment of rescue military force and equipment in advance, and we are capable of putting into emergency rescue work with the order of Central Disaster Emergency Operation Center. The deployment of rescue military force and the preparation of equipment is summarized as follows:

2. The deployment of rescue military force:

(1) Deploy military forces in advance:

The national army will complete the preparation of rescue military force deployment (2,200 soldiers) 24 hours before the landing of the typhoon; the AAV-7 Amphibious Assault Vehicle of the Marine Crops is scheduled to be deployed in Suao, Ilan, Xiahuxi, Taoyuan and Zuoying, Kaohsiung 36 hours before the invasion of the typhoon, and camps can immediately input about 36,000 soldiers.

(2) Preparation of special military forces:

The Army Aviation and Special Forces Command and the Marine Crops have complied 23 intelligence gathering task forces with 141 soldiers, and they are equipped with satellite phones, GPS locators, and wireless telephones to execute tasks such as assisting the evacuation of residents, disaster information gathering, emergency rescue and guiding disaster relief unit in high risk mountainous area, and may assign more troops for assistance depending on the severity of the disaster.

(3) The assignment of the liaison officer:

During the disaster prevention stage, combat areas (defense departments) of the main island and offshore islands are scheduled to assign 731 liaison officers to 364 districts and towns in 22 cities and counties to assist local governments to apply for military forces, and cooperate with local policeman and fireman to perform the task of disaster information collection.

(4) The preparation of medical team:

In order to improve the capability of emergency rescue for disaster relief, all levels of military hospital and medical unit have organized 154 medical teams with 525 personnel, and also completed the preparation of relevant materials; when disasters occur, they will proceed to the disaster area immediately and assist the medical care and delivery of victims.

(5) The preparation of epidemic prevention and disinfection tools:

In order to prevent epidemic effectively, the Ministry have integrated the specialized chemical troops of the army, navy and air force to conduct the preparation of personnel, equipment and machinery during regular period, and they can immediately assign over 2,300 personnel into disaster prevention works and assist the local government for epidemic prevention works to avoid the spread of epidemics.

(6) The preparation of disaster relief counseling:

There are 225 staff in all levels of mental health center of the national army, and each combat area can immediately integrate counseling officer in the area upon significant disaster to establish “Significant Disaster Mental Health Center” to provide mental counseling (console) service to soldiers conducting disaster relief and victims with civil social welfare and charity groups.

3. Preparation of disaster relief resources:

(1) Preparation of equipment:

The national army have executed the preparation of disaster relief resources (including more than 2,100 vehicles, more than 300 armored vehicles, 11 aircrafts, 95 rubber boats and other light and heavy engineering and more than 1,500 life-saving rescue machinery such as engineering vehicle, excavators and life detectors) during regular period, and are capable of joining disaster relief work immediately upon the occurrence of the disaster.

(2) The preparation of camp shelter:

In response of common and compound disasters, each combat area have set up 76 camp shelters that can contain over 31 thousand people under the low-intensity (with beds, capacity” 7,852 people) and high-intensity (without bed, capacity: 23,177 people) principle, and can accommodate residents upon the application of local municipal or county government.

4. Disaster prevention and rescue training:

(1) Disaster prevention and rescue training:

Before the flood period of this year (2018), following the planning of the Executive Yuan, 22 governments of special municipalities, counties (cities) lead to conduct disaster prevention and rescue exercise, and the disaster prevention and rescue exercise of 11 counties (cities) including Pingtung County are combined with Civil Defense Mobilization Exercise; the national army is expected to assign over 1,500 people, 7 helicopters, 240 vehicles and 369 machine and equipment for the exercise and enhance the teamwork with local government with regard to the implementation of disaster prevention and rescue.

(2) The training of disaster prevention trainer:

In order to improve the disaster prevention and rescue skill of the national army, voluntary officers and soldiers related to the implementation of disaster rescue of each troop are selected to attend the “Comprehensive Seed Training Course of Major Disaster for the National Army” of National Fire Agency Training Center, and 1,538 people have completed the training from 2000 to 2017, and we plan to assign 120 people to the training course in 2018 to satisfy the training needs.

5. Conclusion:

The national army actively enhance the preparation of disaster prevention works before the flood period, and uphold the spirit of “rescue relief is combat”, actively and immediately “go to the disaster area to accompany with people” when disasters occur, and showing the capability of “able to conduct disaster relief during regular time and able to combat during war time” to protect the life and property of ROC people.