The Tainan City Government Fire Bureau and CTBC University of Technology jointly established a new drone training center to enhance the city’s technology-enabled disaster relief capabilities. Mayor Huang Wei-che hopes that, in the future, Fire Bureau personnel will be able to receive professional training and technical certification directly in Tainan, instead of having to travel to another county or city. The Fire Bureau has already trained 64 licensed drone pilots and aims to further expand its drone-enabled disaster relief capacity by setting up a regular training base in collaboration with industry, government, and academia.
Huang Wei-che said that trained professional operators are key to maximizing the effectiveness of technology-enabled equipment. For example, the use of 12-lead ECG machines in Fire Bureau ambulances, supported by professionally trained first responders, increased Tainan’s OHCA resuscitation success rate from 27% to 39%. The same is true of drones applied in disaster relief. In addition to procuring the latest equipment, operation personnel training helps maximize the effectiveness of technology-assisted disaster relief at critical moments.
The Mayor noted that drones play an increasingly important role in complex-terrain surveys, disaster monitoring, and search and rescue missions. In the past, firefighters had to travel to cities such as Kaohsiung to receive relevant training or certification. Now, through cooperation with the CTBC University of Technology, professional training and certification resources are available in Tainan. This not only saves labor and time but also enables the continuous improvement of drone pilots’ expertise, further strengthening disaster relief and rescue efficiency.
The Fire Bureau remarked that it required a site that meets the regulations for professional drone-operation testing and certification. CTBC University of Technology has formal test sites and training classrooms approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, MOTC (CAA). The partnership provides the Bureau with venues for regular drone training and skill certification, addressing the shortage of suitable venues and the inconvenience of traveling out of town to obtain qualifications. The cooperation will also cover education, training, professional technology exchanges, and new technology applications, making the training center a long-term, sustainable training base.