Taiwan conducts nationwide disaster drill simulating massive earthquake in Rift Valley

The series of events for National Disaster Prevention Day officially kicked off this week, with the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) focusing on the theme of "disaster prevention" and scheduling multiple drills and tests starting from mid-September. According to the Central News Agency, the drills will be based on the scenario of a potential large-scale earthquake in the Huateng Rift Valley, simulating compound disasters such as fault ruptures, landslides, and tsunamis. This will allow local governments, schools, and communities to review their emergency response procedures through practical operations. The design of these drills references significant past earthquakes, including the September 21 earthquake of 1999 and the Hualien earthquake of 2022, aiming to enhance island-wide vigilance regarding fault activity and rapid response capabilities.

In addition to the drills, the MOI will simultaneously conduct multiple alarm tests on September 21, covering earthquake early warning, tsunami alert, typhoon warning, and flood warning systems. The focus of the tests is not only to inspect the transmission performance of hardware equipment, but also to emphasize the timeliness of message delivery and the reception behavior of the public. During the test period, mobile text messages, app push notifications, and outdoor sirens will be activated simultaneously, allowing disaster prevention units at all levels and the general public to experience the sound and vibration of the alerts at the same time, thereby identifying blind spots in information flow and areas for improvement. This move is regarded as a key step in enhancing the nation's disaster resilience, because when a real disaster strikes, the accuracy and promptness of alerts often determine whether rescue operations can be deployed in a timely manner.

Notably, Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang pointed out at a press conference that the number of certified disaster prevention personnel nationwide has surpassed 176,000, becoming the frontline safety defense line in communities, schools, and public places. Disaster prevention personnel are volunteers who have undergone basic training and advanced drills, equipped with basic skills in simple first aid, disaster response, and public evacuation. This vast volunteer force has continued to expand since the institutionalization of National Disaster Prevention Day in 2019, with an increase of about 30,000 individuals last year compared to the previous year, demonstrating the public's willingness to participate in disaster prevention and the effectiveness of government promotion. Disaster prevention personnel play a particularly crucial role in the early stages of a disaster, as they can conduct roll calls, provide basic medical care, and offer safety guidance before professional rescue teams arrive, thereby reducing the chances of secondary injuries.

The widespread deployment of disaster prevention personnel is also closely linked to Taiwan's unique geographical environment. Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire with dense fault lines, Taiwan experiences an average of over 2,000 earthquakes per year, with the long fault in the Huateng Rift Valley posing the most potential destructiveness. Past studies indicate that if a magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquake occurs along the long fault, it could affect infrastructure and livelihood facilities island-wide. Therefore, setting the drill scenario in the Huateng Rift Valley is not only targeted at potential fault activity, but also tests the collaborative operational capabilities of disaster prevention personnel at the intersection of mountain ranges and coastlines, ensuring that evacuations and medical rescues can be completed rapidly when landslides and tsunamis occur simultaneously.

In summary, from the selection of drill scenarios and comprehensive testing of alert systems to the continuous expansion of human resources for disaster prevention, Taiwan is strengthening its disaster resilience through a multi-layered, whole-society participation approach. If disaster education can be continuously deepened, alert accuracy improved, and the training depth of volunteers expanded in the future, it is expected to reduce casualties and property losses when facing unpredictable natural disasters, truly realizing the policy goal of "disaster prevention takes precedence over disaster."