Shaking Up a Safer Future: Aymen Elementary School Leads the Way in Earthquake Preparedness with Chen Guangfu’s Vision for Disaster-Ready Education
Earthquake Evacuation Drill at Aymen Elementary School Emphasizes Disaster Prevention Education
Aymen Elementary School in Huxi Township conducted an earthquake evacuation campaign, highlighting the importance of disaster prevention education from a young age. Chen Guangfu, Penggu County Magistrate, attended the event and emphasized that disaster prevention should be a core part of education.
The event was held in conjunction with National Disaster Prevention Day on September 21st. Chen Guangfu inspected the teachers’ and students’ drill, ensuring that they followed the three steps to evacuate and take cover during a simulated earthquake. He expressed his hope that the exercise would raise awareness of disaster prevention among students.
Taiwan is located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to frequent earthquakes. The devastating Nanto Chichi earthquake on September 21, 1999, which lasted 102 seconds, killed over 2,400 people, injured over 11,000, and destroyed or partially destroyed over 100,000 houses. Chen Guangfu stressed that effective response measures during earthquakes are essential skills that every individual, especially school children, should possess.
Chen Guangfu emphasized that disaster prevention education is not only the responsibility of schools but should be a societal consensus. By teaching children proper disaster prevention knowledge from an early age, they can make informed decisions during crises. He also pointed out that natural disasters like earthquakes are unpredictable, but daily disaster prevention drills and education can significantly reduce damage.
Furthermore, Chen Guangfu noted that a single disaster event can often turn into a compound disaster, posing greater threats to safety and lives. He stressed that disaster prevention is more important than disaster relief and that building proper disaster prevention knowledge from an early age can strengthen societal resilience.
By prioritizing disaster prevention education, Taiwan can reduce the impact of natural disasters and create a safer environment for its citizens.