TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Security guards should be included in the civil defense mobilization system as they are familiar with local conditions, two lawmakers said Tuesday (May 3).

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, policymakers in Taiwan have been paying more attention to the crucial role of reservists and civil defense in repelling a military attack.

According to a new amendment, adequate planning would allow security guards to play an efficient role in evacuating people, providing crucial intelligence, and collecting and distributing essential goods during wartime, CNA reported.

There are hundreds of thousands of security guards around the country who work day and night at apartment complexes, business offices, transportation hubs and mass rapid transit stations, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) and his independent colleague Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) said. As they are familiar with local people, geographical locations and local conditions, they would form a crucial asset for the civil defense system, the lawmakers argued.

Their proposed amendment would put the Ministry of Interior in charge of making effective plans for the use of security guards in civil defense when needed. The government should also provide the necessary training, subsidies and bonuses, the lawmakers said.