Learn how we’re helping Taiwan prepare for an emergency
Taiwan, like all global democracies, is facing unprecedented external threats to its freedoms and way of life.
Spirit of America is working to help protect Taiwan’s democracy and to help Taiwanese citizens increase their resiliency in the event of an emergency. You can support our efforts here.
We recently hosted a special briefing on Taiwan with CEO Jim Hake and Asia-Pacific Regional Director Joshua Brandon, who was in Taiwan overseeing our growing efforts there. Watch the recording.
Officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. It has been self-governed since 1949 – and has democratically elected presidents since 1996 – but Beijing views the island as part of its territory. Beijing has vowed to eventually “unify” Taiwan and its 23 million residents with the mainland, using force if necessary. The United States has said that China’s diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan represents a threat to all democracies.
Taiwan is also a key economic partner to the United States. It is a global leader in advanced semi-conductor production, with up to 92% of advanced, US-designed chips manufactured on the island. These chips are in everything from your cell phone and car to our satellites and military equipment.
Spirit of America is working with local partners to empower Taiwanese citizens with the emergency response skills needed to serve their communities in the event of a crisis.
With our partner Forward Alliance, Spirit of America is supporting first responders by training police precincts on trauma medical care and donating trauma medical kits.
More than 2,000 Taiwanese civilians have learned basic trauma medicine and crisis response skills, from how to apply a tourniquet to how to rescue people trapped under wreckage.
We are partnering with a Taiwan-based nonprofit, Forward Alliance, to teach civilians how to respond to and help others in a disaster or emergency. Since the training program launched in the spring, we have trained 2,092 citizens in basic trauma medicine and crisis response skills and have onboarded 97 qualified instructors. Ultimately, we plan to train over 10,000 civilians.
Spirit of America and Forward Alliance are also working directly with the National Fire Agency of Taiwan to find innovative solutions that directly support Taiwan’s first responders. In 2023 we will pilot a country-wide program that trains, equips, and integrates local civilian emergency response teams to directly support Taiwanese first responders in the event of a crisis.
During a recent trip to Taiwan, our Asia-Pacific team met with police officers from Taipei City’s Zhongzheng District. With Forward Alliance and the Taiwan Society of Paramedicine, we hosted the first of many workshops on trauma medical care and donated trauma first aid kits to police officers.
