An editorial in Taiwan News says it has many lessons to learn from the Haiti earthquake.
One could almost replace Taiwan for DR and it would read the same:
"However, all too many public offices, schools and private office and residential buildings and public places generally lack clearly demarked or well prepared evacuation or emergency shelters and the degree of incorporation of earthquake resistant technology in building construction remains relatively low due to the laxity of official regulation and enforcement as well as the "cost-down above all" mentality of Taiwan businesses.
Moreover, there remain all too many gasoline, natural gas or chemical storage sites or production facilities located in or close to highly populated areas that pose a grave and constant danger to residents and would undoubtedly complicate the provision of emergency rescue services or evacuation.
Perhaps most worrying is the somnolence of disaster prevention and response command systems at all levels of government, as demonstrated by the sluggish reaction to the massive floods that hit southern Taiwan in the wake of the torrential rains left by Typhoon Morakot.
Moreover, the number, quality and equipment of such reaction teams remains inadequate and their deployment seems to lack both strategic thinking or effective and real-time linkages with local city and county command or preparedness systems.
In addition, there are few signs that our disaster response teams or command systems are equipped with sufficient equipment, training or comprehensive priority planning or regular exercises on the restoration of key political, economic, military, high technology, communications, transportation, power or water facilities.
Taiwan urgently needs to develop an integrated, well-financed and trained disaster prevention and response system guided by the strategic concepts of "comprehensive security" encompassing natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, earthquakes, droughts, land and mud slides and manmade threats from explosion or poison chemical leakages, nuclear plant accidents, air disasters or war.
In addition, the government should develop clear systems for the mobilization of reserve military forces and provide subsidies and manpower training for civilian emergency shelter, evacuation and relocation and prepare detailed plans, organization and training programs that involve ordinary citizens in substantial ways and are not merely exercises in public relations.
Therefore, Taiwan urgently requires the grounding of disaster prevention and response authority and organization in legally mandated procedures to ensure that smooth and rapid reaction with ample legal authority in order to reduce casualties and damage to the lowest possible degree and facilitate rapid reconstruction. "
What Haiti earthquake can teach Taiwan - Taiwan News Online
One could almost replace Taiwan for DR and it would read the same:
"However, all too many public offices, schools and private office and residential buildings and public places generally lack clearly demarked or well prepared evacuation or emergency shelters and the degree of incorporation of earthquake resistant technology in building construction remains relatively low due to the laxity of official regulation and enforcement as well as the "cost-down above all" mentality of Taiwan businesses.
Moreover, there remain all too many gasoline, natural gas or chemical storage sites or production facilities located in or close to highly populated areas that pose a grave and constant danger to residents and would undoubtedly complicate the provision of emergency rescue services or evacuation.
Perhaps most worrying is the somnolence of disaster prevention and response command systems at all levels of government, as demonstrated by the sluggish reaction to the massive floods that hit southern Taiwan in the wake of the torrential rains left by Typhoon Morakot.
Moreover, the number, quality and equipment of such reaction teams remains inadequate and their deployment seems to lack both strategic thinking or effective and real-time linkages with local city and county command or preparedness systems.
In addition, there are few signs that our disaster response teams or command systems are equipped with sufficient equipment, training or comprehensive priority planning or regular exercises on the restoration of key political, economic, military, high technology, communications, transportation, power or water facilities.
Taiwan urgently needs to develop an integrated, well-financed and trained disaster prevention and response system guided by the strategic concepts of "comprehensive security" encompassing natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, earthquakes, droughts, land and mud slides and manmade threats from explosion or poison chemical leakages, nuclear plant accidents, air disasters or war.
In addition, the government should develop clear systems for the mobilization of reserve military forces and provide subsidies and manpower training for civilian emergency shelter, evacuation and relocation and prepare detailed plans, organization and training programs that involve ordinary citizens in substantial ways and are not merely exercises in public relations.
Therefore, Taiwan urgently requires the grounding of disaster prevention and response authority and organization in legally mandated procedures to ensure that smooth and rapid reaction with ample legal authority in order to reduce casualties and damage to the lowest possible degree and facilitate rapid reconstruction. "
What Haiti earthquake can teach Taiwan - Taiwan News Online