Air-raid shelters must open to public during alerts: Ministry

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Deputy Interior Minister Maa Shyh-yuan (馬士元) said that buildings designated as air-raid shelters must be open for members of the public to take refuge when an air raid alert sounds during the urban resilience drills set for July 15-18.

In an interview with media personality Wang Shi-chi (王時齊) that aired Wednesday, Maa confirmed that designated shelters include office and residential buildings, schools and underground parking lots in parks, as long as they display an air-raid shelter sticker.

The Ministry of the Interior's (MOI) National Land Management Agency and National Police Agency have been taking stock of such shelters across the country and marking them with the stickers for the past two years, he added.

Regarding disaster responders, Maa told Wang that around 52,000 people have been trained as Disaster Relief Volunteers (DRVs) so far, with the ultimate goal being to train at least one-sixth of the country's population.

As for emergency evacuation bags, Maa said that the bag he carries to work can function as an evacuation bag, as it contains a tourniquet that matches U.S. military specifications, a simple first-aid kit, a power bank and bandages.

He advised that everyone prepare an evacuation bag tailored to their individual needs, with three main scenarios in mind.

The first is for daily self-protection when going out, Maa said, and the second is a grab-and-go kit for emergencies such as earthquakes or fires with supplies lasting for about three days.

The third is for situations where one is trapped indoors for several days, in which case sufficient food and water should be prepared, he said, adding that for residents in mountainous areas, basic supplies should last 10-14 days.

Maa said that community equipment, such as traffic cones and warning tape, is currently purchased by individual village chiefs and not available in every village.

Therefore, Maa said, the Cabinet has proposed a NT$410 billion (US$14.05 billion) special bill aimed at strengthening the nation's economic, social and homeland security resilience.

Of the total budget, NT$4.25 billion will be allocated to support Taiwan's 7,000 villages in building disaster prevention warehouses, assist 368 townships in establishing disaster prevention collaboration centers, and improve public air-raid facilities.

Maa urged the Legislature to pass the bill.