Over 1,500 alternative servicemen to participate in 2026 urban resilience drills

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) The 2026 edition of Taiwan's urban resilience drills kicked off on Wednesday in Changhua County, with 192 alternative service personnel participating, according to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).

In a Wednesday press statement, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) stated that the 192 alternative servicemen included active and on-reserve members, who were mixed together for the drills.

The servicemen were deployed to all 23 drill sites inside the county, Liu said, to engage in supporting the drills, which traditionally feature air raid alerts, public evacuation maneuvers, and disaster relief drills.

The alternative service members had hands-on experiences operating disaster response collaboration centers, first aid stations, and resource distribution stations, as well as taking part in evacuation and emergency response drills.

The ministry said alternative servicemen were in charge of receiving people seeking refuge or assistance at such stations, as well as other duties such as manpower allocation and information collection.

The MOI went on to explain that all alternative service personnel qualified for first aid and emergency response during boot camp, receiving EMT-1 certification and certifications for disaster prevention and volunteer service personnel.

Additional urban resilience drills are planned in 10 other municipalities in Taiwan this year, with over 1,500 alternative servicemen scheduled to participate, the ministry said.