At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on disaster relief volunteer training and utilization. The premier said that Taiwan is situated in a geographic environment where earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters pose a frequent threat. Since 2018, the MOI has promoted a training and certification system for disaster relief volunteers in order to establish a mechanism that allows for civic and private sector participation in disaster prevention and relief. This has had a positive effect in enhancing the public's awareness of risks and strengthening professional knowledge relating to disasters.
Strengthening whole-of-society defense and resilience is a key focus of the government's current administrative agenda, and investing in disaster relief volunteers is an essential part of this effort, the premier said. He directed the MOI to coordinate with social services, civil administration, police and civic organizations to jointly expand training resources for disaster relief volunteers. Moving forward, the government must continue to organize and systemize volunteer capacity, and implement mechanisms that allow volunteers to participate in the work of local disaster coordination centers.