->Based on a simulated large-scale earthquake, a large-scale joint exercise was conducted, involving medium and heavy search and rescue teams across the nation, to verify the capability of coordinated and integrated operations among multiple teams.

From the early evening of 2024/09/06 to 2024/09/08, a total of 572 people from 12 teams (including the Special Search and Search (SAR) Team of the National Fire Agency (NFA), the NAP (National Accreditation Process)-accredited heavy and medium search and rescue teams from various municipal and county (city) governments, and the search and rescue team from Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams (TDADMT), and 184 vehicles of various types for earthquake disaster relief and medical services gathered at the designated exercise site, i.e. Taoyuan Aerotropolis, for a 36-hour non-stop large-scale joint exercise. Through simulated scenarios in a large-scale earthquake disaster, this exercise aimed to verify the coordination and integration of various disaster search and rescue operations and disaster assessments among those search and rescue teams responding to support this disaster, as well as to verify the subsequent evacuation strategies, and the search and rescue manpower deployment mechanism of each team, so as to strengthen the disaster relief efficiency and safety planning of each SAR team.

As per National Fire Agency (NFA), in order to enhance the disaster relief capabilities of search and rescue teams of each municipal and county (city) government across the country, the National Accreditation Process (NAP) was promoted starting from Quarter 4 of 2021, which was based on the framework of INSARAG External Classification (IEC) to verify and accredit the capabilities of the targeted search and rescue teams in Taiwan (where INSARAG stands for International Search and Rescue Advisory Group). Thus far, 10 local SAR teams have passed medium+ level of NAP, including 4 heavy search and rescue teams of Taipei City, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung City, and Tainan City, and 6 medium search and rescue teams of Taitung County, Pingtung County, Taichung City, Taoyuan City, Hualien County, and Hsinchu City (in the order of the dates of their passing the NAP). It is expected that in 2024, the SAR team of Chiayi County would apply for the NAP, and in 2024, the SAR team of Changhua County as well. Those teams passing the NAP has been accredited for being equipped with disaster relief effectiveness at the specific level, which has grasped the operating mechanism for executing international humanitarian relief missions.

When a large-scale disaster strikes, communication, coordination, and information integration usually constitute the most time-consuming aspects. During the exercise this time, the ICMS (INSARAG Coordination Management System) developed by the Special Search and Search (SAR) Team of the National Fire Agency (NFA) based on the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) mechanism was specially introduced, which used electronic systems to present disaster relief information in a consistent and intuitive way, reducing communication and coordination time while striving for rescue opportunities.

This time, in addition to 11 search and rescue teams from fire agency and fire departments, Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams (TDADMT) also joined the exercise, which gathered 20 medical personnel to form a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) at the simulated disaster scene. The DMAT was mandated to set up emergency operating rooms (ORs), minor injury treatment areas, and observation wards under the simulated harsh conditions in the disaster area to act out treatment and care for injured people when the medical system was overloaded during a large-scale disaster.

As pointed out by the National Fire Agency (NFA), the training and cultivation of search and rescue teams must be based on countless drills to identify specific details and make corresponding corrections. Located in a location prone to natural disasters, Taiwan must strengthen the disaster relief capabilities of the search and rescue teams across the country, making full planning preparedness, only then can it respond quickly to disasters and reduce the loss of life and casualties caused by disasters.

Director-General HSIAO Huan-Chang discussed the exercise scenario with the exercise participants.

Search and rescue personnel cut out a rescue space with a cutter 1

Search and rescue personnel cut out a rescue space with a cutter 2

Search and rescue personnel built a supporting frame in a dangerous building

Search and rescue personnel conducted emergency medical care at the scene where the injured person was extricated.

The 5G digital AI rescue platform was deployed for the first time for this exercise.