Taipei: Deputy Interior Minister Maa Shyh-yuan announced that all buildings designated as air-raid shelters will be accessible to the public during air raid alerts scheduled for the urban resilience drills from July 15 to 18.

According to Focus Taiwan, Maa, in an interview with media personality Wang Shi-chi, confirmed that these designated shelters include various structures such as office and residential buildings, schools, and underground parking lots in parks. These facilities are marked with an air-raid shelter sticker, a measure that has been implemented by the Ministry of the Interior's National Land Management Agency and National Police Agency over the past two years.

Maa highlighted the progress in training disaster responders, noting that approximately 52,000 individuals have been trained as Disaster Relief Volunteers (DRVs). The goal is to eventually train one-sixth of the country's population in disaster response. He also emphasized the importance of emergency evacuation bags, sharing that his work bag doubles as a survival kit equipped with essentials like a tourniquet, first-aid supplies, and a power bank. Maa advised citizens to prepare personalized evacuation bags suited to different emergency scenarios, ranging from daily protection to long-term indoor confinement.

Furthermore, Maa addressed the current practice of community equipment procurement, which relies on individual village chiefs. To enhance resilience, the Cabinet has proposed a NT$410 billion (US$14.05 billion) special bill. This budget aims to bolster economic, social, and homeland security resilience, with NT$4.25 billion dedicated to supporting Taiwan's villages and townships in disaster preparedness and improving air-raid facilities. Maa urged the Legislature to approve this crucial bill to strengthen national resilience against potential threats.