Lai urges strengthening resilience to disasters

Alerts: Earthquake drill and hurricane test were conducted to test the nation's capabilities to mobilize, deploy and coordinate responders by air, sea and land.

By Lin Yi Zhang and Jonathan Chen / Editorial Staff Reporter, with Editorial Staff Writer

Taiwan should use technology and public-private cooperation to enhance resilience to natural disasters, Taiwanese President William Lai said after inspecting an earthquake drill in Chiayi County yesterday.

First responders, drones, robots, search and rescue teams and diplomats from nine countries took part in the disaster simulation exercise held yesterday – a day before National Disaster Prevention Day.

Taiwan began observing National Disaster Prevention Day on September 21, 2000, one year after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing more than 2,400 people.

Photo: Lin Yi Chang, Taipei Times

Lai said the country's efforts to strengthen disaster prevention and response have yielded results, as evidenced by the performance of first responders and participating civilians, including students and faculty members at Xianhe Primary School.

The drills, which included simulations of an earthquake in Chiayi and a typhoon in Pinghu, further tested the country's capabilities to mobilize, deploy and coordinate first responders by air, sea and land, he added.

Lai also thanked foreign search and rescue teams and diplomatic personnel, saying their participation in the drills facilitated Taiwan's international cooperation in disaster response.

Photo: Richie P. Tongo, EPA-EFE

The president said the provincial government, its towns, the armed forces, the National Fire Agency, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, utility companies and many volunteer groups had proven their ability to work together under a unified chain of command.

Lai also commended the ministries of national defence, health and social welfare, and digital affairs, as well as the National Fire Agency, for providing medical, communications, search and rescue operations, he said.

As part of the disaster tests, an earthquake alert was sent to all mobile phones across Taiwan, while a tsunami alert was sent to mobile phones in coastal areas yesterday morning.

The test, simulating a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Chiayi County at 9:21 a.m., was sent to mobile phones across the country, urging people to “drop, cover and hold on.”

At 10 a.m., coastal residents received a tsunami test alert on their phones, followed 10 minutes later by another message telling them the drill was over.

The Central Meteorological Administration used the public warning cell broadcast service to send test alerts to the public via mobile phones.

This year's “disaster relief mobilization drill,” which runs from Wednesday to yesterday, will involve more than 1,000 participants from various ministries and local governments, the Interior Ministry said.

Additional report from the Central News Agency

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos