A violent earthquake struck Turkey earlier this year in February. The Taiwan International Search and Rescue Team immediately dispatched 130 people to Turkey for disaster relief. They assisted the US team to establish a regional coordination center as they arrived in the disaster area, which marks the beginning of the interactions between the two. As a continuation of disaster relief cooperation and friendship in Turkey, From June 6 to 16, the special S&R team of National Fire Agency (NFA), Ministry of the Interior went to the United States for a joint disaster prevention and relief exercise in Indiana. Immediately after the exercise, the team flew to Los Angeles for an interactive visit with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team (LAcoFD USAR), hoping to establish a long-term partnership with the United States counterpart.
NFA stated that Taiwan team was one of the first teams to arrive at the hardest-hit area of Turkey, assisted the US team in establishing a subdivision coordination center (SCC), and walked teams from Armenia, Algeria, Russia and other countries through the situation for effective management and communications with international search and rescue efforts. The task was handed over to the US team the next day as they arrived at the scene. Thanks to the opportunity to work side by side with the United States in Turkey, the rescue operation was a total success. In order to deepen the interactions between the United States and Taiwan and continue the comradeship in disaster relief in Turkey, Director-General Hsiao Huan-Chang specially appointed Chen Yi-Feng, the captain of the special S&R team, to lead a team of 11 for the local disaster prevention and relief joint exercise from June 6th to 16th in Indiana, USA, and have a 4-day search and rescue training and simulation scenario exercise with certified S&R teams in the United States. During the exercise, the Taiwan team and their US counterparts shared the differences in one another's practices, learned from one another, and conducted technical exchanges. Then, the team went to Los Angeles for an interactive visit to Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team (LAcoFD USAR). LAcoFD is one of the only two heavy-duty search and rescue teams certified by the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Organization (INSARAG) in the United State and a partner of the Taiwan team working together in Turkey. During this visit, the United States and Taiwan shared their experience as search and rescue teams in management, logistics, search, rescue, and medical treatment, as well as the exchange of disaster relief experiences. “I would like to express my gratitude for the Taiwan S&R team for their performance in Turkey, and recognize the overall ability and performance of Taiwan team demonstrated during the visit,” said Greg Short, the captain of LAcoFD USAR.
NFA pointed out that LAcoFD USAR is invited to strengthen the experience of international humanitarian rescue cooperation. It is hoped that the United States join heavy duty search and rescue team will come to Taiwan for the drill during September 21 National Disaster Preparedness Day in September this year, so as to establish a long-term partnership between the two parties relation.