Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, visited Taipei and met with mayor Wan-An Chiang on February 7th, 2024. She also visited the Taipei City Emergency Operations Center (EOC). On May 15th, Mayor Chiang attended the SusHi Tech Tokyo and delivered a presentation titled 'Building a Safe City through Innovation.' This aimed to further deepen the exchange of disaster prevention and response experiences between the two cities. To facilitate substantive cooperation, experts including Tomo Harada, Director General of Crisis Management, and Yoshimi Yoshida, Director General of the Tokyo Fire Department, visited commissioner, Huai-Chu Mo, on May 20th, 2024. They also toured the 119 emergency dispatch center, as well as the Taipei City emergency operations center.
The fire department stated that representatives from Tokyo visited the 119 emergency dispatch center to gain a comprehensive understanding of 119 service system in Taipei. This includes how the Taipei City efficiently handles the large volume of calls each year, utilizing the 119 high-performance dispatch System for diversified incident reporting and precise information management. Taipei has constructed a visual decision-making platform to strengthen information dissemination media, spatial positioning real-time detection, and digital information instant transmission. Additionally, through cross-domain integration with the Transportation Depratment's CMS variable sign system, citizens are alerted to avoid routes around disaster scenes, enhancing the quality and efficiency of disaster relief and rescue efforts, thus ensuring the safety of Taipei citizens accurately.
The core of Taipei City's disaster response is the Taipei City emergency operations center (EOC), which is also a key focus of this visit. The fire department explained the operation modes and mechanisms of command, coordination, and dispatch at the EOC during both normal and disaster times, as well as the communication, coordination, and response measures among various departments. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Disaster Management Department and Fire Department also shared topics such as emergency assistance in the Noto Peninsula earthquake, stockpiling of supplies for large-scale earthquakes, and digital applications in disaster prevention. They jointly discussed enhancing resilience in facing disasters.
Commissioner Mo expressed that through this international exchange and sharing of experiences in urban disaster prevention and firefighting with the Tokyo Fire Department, not only does it continue to foster friendly relations between the two cities, but it also elevates the level of urban disaster prevention and safety. In recent years, Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Team have been invited fifteen times to participate in comprehensive disaster prevention training hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Taipei City also continues to invite Japan's Tokyo search and rescue teams to Taiwan to participate in joint exercises, aiming to enhance international search and rescue team's joint rescue capabilities. This will improve various disaster prevention and rescue efforts, establishing a more resilient city against disasters.