TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taitung County has approved new wilderness medical kits that will let firefighters provide better on-site care during long, high-altitude rescues.

The kits include emergency injections, painkillers, and other medications for areas where medical support is hours away, per CNA. The goal is to strengthen emergency services across Taitung’s vast mountain regions.

Taitung County Fire Department Secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) explained that Taitung’s rugged geography leads to frequent rescues in valleys and forests. He said poor road access and weak communications often force responders to hike in and provide care on-site for extended periods.

Lin added that equipment limitations previously prevented EMTs from addressing conditions such as altitude sickness, severe pain, or allergic reactions. Patients often endured prolonged discomfort and risked deterioration during the long journey out of the mountains.

Under the new measures, firefighters will carry either basic life support (BLS) or advanced life support (ALS) kits. Intermediate-level paramedics with certified wilderness medicine credentials may use BLS kits and provide oral medications to fellow rescuers experiencing related symptoms.

Advanced paramedics will be authorized to carry ALS kits and administer oral or injectable drugs under standing orders from a medical advisor.