Two Firefighting events were held in Seoul and Taipei this past April. Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) received invitations to these events and dispatched staff members to both cities. We would like to introduce how they conducted the cross-border rescue technique exchanges.

(Seoul Fire Festival)

At the disaster prevention festival venue

The Fire Festival and the fire exercise were conducted in Seoul on Thursday, April 23, 2015. To this event, the TFD dispatched Fire Protection Management Section Chief and three members of the 3rd District Headquarters Fire Rescue Taskforces (Hyper Rescue).
At a seminar held during the festival, the TFD Section Chief delivered a lecture entitled "Fire Prevention in Skyscraper." The fellow participants from New Taipei City, Ulaanbaatar, Minsk and Seoul, also displayed a great deal of interest in the TFD's activities.

Furthermore, the firefighting drill simulated a blaze occurring in a high-rise building. In dealing with this scenario, firefighters of Seoul conducted as if they were dealing with a real situation, and the TFD firefighters reviewed the procedures conducted by Korean and Japanese professionals in responding to such an event.
The event drew attention of various visitors including the Mayor of Seoul, members of the national parliament and numerous representatives of foreign embassies, as well as firefighting institutes. Furthermore, members of the local communities were highly proactive in participating in the firefighting drill, and this highlighted the strong interest of South Korean society in disaster-prevention and preparedness.

Tokyo participants with staff of the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters

Saving survivors from the fire
(Scene from the exercise)

(The Fire Drill in Taipei)

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, the Fire Drill was conducted in Taipei City, Taiwan.
In response to an invitation from the Taipei City Fire Department, the TFD dispatched five members of its 6th District Headquarters Fire Rescue Task Forces.
At the Fire Drill simulating a massive earthquake, the TFD members, along with Taiwanese firefighters, acted as if they were dealing with a real situation in engaging in rescue activities. . As it was the first time that Tokyo participated in the drill, media showed a big interest, and there were even scenes of TFD rescue taskforces members being surrounded by reporters afterwards.

Fire Breaks Out! (Scene from the drill)

A TFD rescue taskforces member surrounded
by the media after the drill

Taiwanese and Tokyo Firefighters

By their visit to Seoul and Taipei, the TFD firefighters could appreciate that, in all countries, something that is common in firefighters is a duty to protect citizens' lives and properties. Through such an appreciation, the participants once again realized that the duties of firefighters recognize no national borders.
Both Seoul and Taipei have participate in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) Comprehensive Disaster Management Drill past years. Through the building up of such technology exchanges among the different cities, when a major disaster occurs, international rescue operations can be surely conducted in smooth cooperation with each other, either in one's own country or not.
(International Affairs Branch, Administration Section, Administration Division, Tokyo Fire Department)