The Taipei City Government yesterday mobilized about 300 staff to simulate a fire emergency and tested their crisis-handling ability at the main venue of the Taipei International Flora Expo, in preparation for the expo scheduled to open on Nov. 6.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) presided over the first large-scale drill at the Expo Dome — the former site of Zhongshan Soccer Stadium, which will house competitions for works of flora art — and instructed all divisions including the fire, health and transportation departments to enhance cooperation and communication during the expo.
The drill simulated an earthquake and a fire accident at the dome. Expo staff cooperated with the city’s Fire Department and Department of Health to evacuate visitors and rush the wounded to the hospital.
PHOTO: CNA
More drills will be held at 14 exhibition sites to address other issues. As the expo is expected to attract heavy traffic, Hau said the city government would test the traffic capacity and adjust traffic routes after it has invited volunteers and local residents to join the trial operation on Oct. 9.
“There will be problems and flaws and we hope to fix most of the problems at the drills and trial operation. We are confident that we will be well prepared and will make the expo as perfect as possible,” Hau said.
The trial operation will run for 120 days and the city government will invite expo and local residents in Datong (大同) and Zhongshan (中山) districts, where the expo sites are located, to participate.
In response to the Democratic Progressive Party’s latest accusation that the city government wasted taxpayers’ money by giving 12 cities and counties millions of NT dollars in subsidies to seek their participation in the event, Hau yesterday acknowledged giving a NT$3 million (US$95,500) subsidy to each of the 12 cities and counties, including Taichung City, Changhua City and Yunlin County. However, he also insisted the budget was to encourage other cities and counties to set up exhibitions in the expo.
“The flora expo is not an event for Taipei residents alone. It is an expo for all the people in Taiwan and every city and county should join us to participate in the event,” he said.
The expo organizing committee’s spokesperson Ma Chien-hui (馬千惠) said the 12 cities and counties will set up exhibitions and display local flowers and plants during the expo. The subsidy will be used to maintain the exhibitions during the event.
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