->The Ministry of the Interior conducted a joint supervision of the public safety and fire safety of high-rise buildings in Hsinchu County, and is to instruct local governments across Taiwan to assist with the inspection declaration report on the public saf

Regarding the recent fire incident at the Qingkonghui Building in Hsinchu County Minister LIU Shi-Fang of the Interior has instructed the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) and National Fire Agency (NFA) to put forward strategies for building disaster prevention. In addition, on 2024/06/11, Minister LIU specially assigned Deputy Minister WU Tang-An, along with the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) and National Fire Agency (NFA), to launch a joint inspection on the public security of high-rise buildings. Along with the Public Work Department of Hsinchu County and the Fire Department of Hsinchu County, random inspections of 3 high-rise buildings were conducted, where audits were performed on the status of the declaration reporting on the building public safety and on the fire equipment maintenance to strengthen the populace’s awareness of the crisis. Such inspections and audits were not meant to impose penalties but to require the owners of the buildings to regularly make regular inspection declaration reports on the building public safety. Local governments are also required to handle buildings’ public safety in accordance with relevant regulations, while grasping the building situations in their local areas to identify problems. Accordingly, the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) and National Fire Agency (NFA) are responsible for studying solutions.

Timely conduct the inventory-taking of targeted high-rise buildings for mandatory inspection declaration reports on the public safety
As a top reminder by the MOI, the inventory-taking of targeted high-rise buildings for mandatory inspection declaration reports on the building public safety should be conducted as soon as possible. Where local manpower is insufficient, union resources could be incorporated to carry out the inventory-taking. On 2024/06/11, random inspections of 3 communities were carried out, where inspection declaration reports on the building public safety were made in the past, yet without improvements made on those deficiencies found. Local governments are reminded to continue to track the improvement of such situation. In addition, in term of the inspection declaration reports on the fire safety equipment maintenance, audit results showed that inspection declaration reports were fully made in accordance with regulations, covering all deficiencies and improvements made thereon. The local fire department has completely followed up and reviewed the inspection declaration reports and improvements made, which was worthy of specially affirmation.

Initiate joint inspections of high-risk types and continue to track implementation of the public safety maintenance
The Ministry of the Interior has required municipal, county (city) governments to conduct, within their jurisdiction, a comprehensive inventory-taking of apartment complexes with 16 floors or more or with a height of 50 meters or more. Targeting high-risk communities, such as those high-rise apartment complexes or composite buildings that have not been reported with inspection declaration on time, the joint fire inspection team is to request those owners of the buildings or those in charge of the management to be responsible for making regular inspection declaration reports on the building public safety in accordance with the Building Act and the Fire Service Act, to deploy and maintain fire safety equipment and to be responsible for making regular inspection declaration reports on the equipment maintenance. Where any failure to maintain the legitimate use or structure of the building, any failure to maintain the equipment safety in accordance with regulations, or any failures to file an inspection declaration report, improvements should be made within a time limit or a fine should be imposed in accordance with the Building Act and Fire Service Act, so as to maintain the living environment and life safety.

Whether fire compartment should be incorporated, as an inspection item, into the annual safety inspection, the MOI is to invite all parties for discussion.
Regarding the suggestion, made by numerous parties after the fire in Qingkonghui Community in Hsinchu, to include fire compartment as a mandatory inspection item in the annual public safety inspection for residential buildings, the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) indicated that comprehensive consideration is necessary for this suggestion since abnormalities in hidden places inside buildings are not easy to be identified unless by a destructive inspection. How to carry out the inspection in practice without causing disturbance to the residents, therefore, requires experts and scholars in various related fields to study together how the implementation of that suggestion can be designed and operated. Additionally, in case of the addition of charging piles, it may involve damage to the wall or changes to the power distribution system; therefore, it requires further discussions with the construction management unit of the local government and Taiwan Power Company on issues such as how to inspect and accept the pile addition work. Finally, as per the National Land Management Agency (NLMA), subsequently local governments should adjust routine inspections and implementation methods with a proper plan to achieve the purpose of implementation of public safety inspections and effective maintenance of the safety of the living environment. The emphasis lies in the joint efforts between the central and local governments to reassure the populace.

Encourage the participation in trainings related to fire prevention management, to strengthen communities’ management response capabilities
In addition to the compliance of hardware for high-rise buildings, independent initial response to earthquakes, fires, and other accidents constitutes one of the important aspects of self-protection. As per appeals of the MOI, residents and property management service personnel of high-rise buildings are encouraged to participate in courses related to disaster prevention technician and fire management, to enhance the ability to identify hazards and respond to disasters in the early stages of the disaster. Meanwhile, the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) and the National Fire Agency (NFA) are also requested to study the addition of disaster prevention and disaster response training to property management training courses, to strengthen communities;’ management and response capabilities, so as to protect the live safety of themselves and their families.