->Executive Yuan’s project to assist local governments in procurement of drones and robots LIN Yu-Chang: Utilizing technology for disaster relief, to improve the safety of fire service personnel

On 2024/02/15, at the Executive Yuan’s meeting, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) made a report on the "Plan for Assisting with the Promotion of Utilizing Science and Technologies such as Drone Equipment for Disaster Relief by Municipal, County (City) Fire Agencies”. According to Minister LIN Yu-Chang, in order to enable the front-line firefighters to utilize science and technologies such as drones and disaster relief robots to first enter the disaster site for situation investigation and preliminary fire extinguishment, especially under the condition of insufficient site information or unclear site situation, so as to reduce the risk in disaster relief, the Executive Yuan has approved a fund of NT$660 million to assist the 22 municipal, county (city) fire agencies in procuring, in 2024, a total of 88 infrared thermal imaging drones and 88 disaster relief robots, to ensure the safety of fire service personnel in disaster relief.

According to Minister LIN Yu-Chang, firefighters face many risks and uncertainties in disaster relief. The utilization of science and technology in disaster relief can help reduce the occurrence of accidents while taking into account the mission requirements in fire rescue. Disaster relief drones, for example, can be used for search and rescue in mountains, fires and waters. and for real-time monitoring, providing the latest images of the disaster area, allowing the command center to make decisions with reference to the images provided, as well as those rescue personnel marching toward the severely-stricken disaster areas to grasp the front-line situations. In addition, during the performance of dangerous disaster relief tasks, such as incidents in chemical plants and long tunnels; nuclear, biological and chemical incidents; toxic gas leaks; and fires in high-tech factories, buildings made of metal sheets, or resource recycling plants, disaster relief robots can immediately enter disaster scenes on behalf of firefighters. Such approaches not only allow the precise detection of hazardous gases and the collection of the information inside the fire scene, but also can assist the water spraying in the perimeter of the fire, thus saving manpower. Currently, fire agencies across Taiwan are equipped with a total of 261 drones and 34 disaster relief robots.

According to Minister LIN Yu-Chang of the MOI, the safety of on-duty firefighters has always been the top priority of the government. In order to ensure the safety of field firefighters in disaster relief, the Executive Yuan has appropriated special funds to assist local fire agencies in procuring infrared thermal imaging drones and disaster relief robots. In 2024, the Executive Yuan has approved a fund of NT$660 million for the procurement of a total of 88 infrared thermal imaging drones and 88 disaster relief robots. Additionally, the Executive Yuan has also approved the "Chemistry and Resilience Sustainability Program for Building National Security" (from 2025 t0 2029) in which it is stipulated that as of 2025, local governments are to successively receive assistance in procuring 72 infrared thermal imaging drones and 33 disaster relief robots, totaling NT$460.8 million. By then, there will be a total of 421 infrared thermal imaging drones and 155 disaster relief robots across Taiwan. It is hoped that through the procurement of drones and disaster relief robots, new science and technologies are to change the disaster relief model, where a fleet of disaster relief robots is to be gradually shaped up, thus enabling the protection of the safety of fire service personnel more comprehensively.