TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taitung County Government held a large-scale earthquake response mobilization drill on Thursday.
Observers included 45 representatives from 18 foreign missions in Taiwan, including Jonas Oehman, founder of the Lithuania-based NGO Blue and Yellow, and Janis Karlsbergs, senior policy and publications manager at NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, per CNA. In addition, 232 participants from 16 countries took part in the drills, medical operations, and observation.
A national-level Disaster Medical Assistance Team set up an on-site emergency station, according to the Taitung County Government. Search-and-rescue helicopters, along with an Indigenous special rescue team, were deployed to airlift simulated stranded residents from mountainous and isolated areas to the emergency station.
The drill also practiced scenarios in which Taitung City’s medical capacity is overwhelmed. A helicopter immediately transported critically injured patients to offshore medical vessels for treatment.
Oehman emphasized that the most important aspect of crisis response is repeated drills, including unannounced exercises, to enhance readiness for unexpected situations, CNA reported. Volunteer organizations in Lithuania also conduct regular drills and joint training with neighboring countries.
He said it is also important to improve individual first-aid skills and community mutual aid capabilities so society can respond quickly in times of crisis.
Karlsbergs said that his home country, Latvia, experienced Soviet occupation and that he personally participated in efforts to secure national freedom, per CNA. These experiences gave him an appreciation for the importance of support and cooperation among democratic nations, Karlsbergs said.
Democratic societies must strengthen government-level response capabilities and build public consensus and deepen international partnerships, he said, CNA reported. By fostering exchanges and preparedness in peacetime, societies can build resilience to meet future challenges, he added.
