Taiwan is demonstrating its preparedness for any kind of catastrophe at an event ahead of National Disaster Prevention Day on September 21. The drills bring together emergency workers, civilians and military personnel to show how the country should respond in the event of a natural disaster or military invasion.
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00:00Earthquake, typhoon, military invasion. Whatever the threat, Taiwan is ready. That's the message
00:07coming out of this demonstration in Chiayi in Taiwan's south for National Disaster Prevention
00:12Day. The annual event takes place on or around the
00:17anniversary of the devastating Jiji, or 9-2-1 earthquake, that killed over 2,400 people
00:24in 1999. In addition to remembering past tragedies,
00:30the day has become a chance to educate the public on how to respond in the face of disaster.
00:36After touring exhibits, President Lai Ching-Te expressed his gratitude to the personnel at
00:41the forefront of emergency rescue efforts. Bringing together humanitarian groups, emergency
00:51workers, defence experts and tech specialists from Taiwan and abroad, the exhibitions showcase
00:57the latest in disaster response training and technology.
01:08The event considers disaster response from a range of angles, from food prep to medical
01:13equipment to rescue animals. Emergency workers like Michael Chen share
01:24their experiences dealing with disaster, most recently after the deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake
01:31that shook Taiwan in April this year. Enoch Wu, a former Special Forces soldier
01:45turned politician, was there too with his organisation Forward Alliance, a civil defence
01:51think tank based in Taipei. Civil society has increasingly been taking
02:08an active role in Taiwan's disaster response. Joshua Brandon from Spirit of America, an
02:14NGO supporting American values and allies the world over, encourages citizens to consider
02:19how they can prepare.
02:40In Taiwan, the potential for a natural or man-made disaster is always in the back of
02:46psyche. And while sobering, events like these show the country's dedication at giving people
02:51the best chance at overcoming the worst-case scenario.