TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Civil defense air raid drills start on Tuesday and will continue through Friday on a rotating schedule by region.
During this year’s Han Kuang 41 military exercises, the government will hold the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercise, which integrates the annual Wan An air defense and Min An civil defense drills for the first time, per CNA. The exercise includes air raid sirens, evacuation drills, traffic controls, and mobile phone alerts.
Drills will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in most regions, except for eastern Taiwan and outlying islands, where they will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. After the all-clear signal, local governments and civil defense teams will carry out emergency relief, first-aid, and disaster response drills.
The schedule is as follows:
- July 15: Miaoli County, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County,
- July 16: Kaohsiung and Pingtung County
- July 17: Yilan County, Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, and Hsinchu
July 18: Hualien County, Taitung County, Kinmen County, Lienchiang County, and Penghu County
The air raid alarm is one 15-second tone followed by two five-second tones. The all-clear signal is one continuous tone lasting 90 seconds.
If indoors
Shut all doors and windows, and turn off electricity, water, and gas. Take shelter in the home’s designated air raid shelter or basement.
If no such facility is nearby, stay in a sturdy interior room with few or no windows and assume the protective position. The protective position involves kneeling with the body lowered, chest off the ground, and hands covering one's eyes and ears, with the mouth slightly open.
If outdoors
Enter the nearest building as quickly as possible. If no building is nearby, seek cover such as underpasses, culverts, or bridge piers, and assume the protective position.
Follow these four key principles: underground is safer than aboveground, indoors is better than outdoors, and stay away from outer walls and windows.
If driving
Pull over to the side of the road, exit the vehicle, and enter the nearest shelter. If none is nearby, find cover and assume the protective position.
If using public transportation
If one is inside a vehicle and unable to exit, lower the body below window level and protect the head.
During the drill, buses will stop by the roadside or at stations, and passengers must disembark and follow police and civil defense instructions. MRT, high-speed rail, and Taiwan Railways trains will continue operating, but passengers must follow evacuation guidance from military, police, or civil defense personnel upon arrival.
If shopping
Shopping malls, movie theaters, libraries, sports centers, and similar venues in key zones must temporarily suspend operations. Business owners, staff, and service personnel should assist patrons in evacuating to nearby sturdy areas away from windows, such as basements or designated air raid shelters.
How to find shelter locations
Nearby air raid shelters can be found through the National Police Agency’s air defense evacuation zone website, or download the NPA Police Services app and tap the Air Defense Evacuation section.
Penalties for non-compliance
Those who fail to comply with evacuation or traffic control measures will first receive a warning. Continued non-compliance may result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 (US$1,000–US$5,000) under the Civil Defense Act.
