The Taichung City Government today (the 6th) passed the nation’s first “Taichung City Mountain Activities Management Autonomous Ordinance”! The ordinance stipulates that when the Central Weather Bureau issues a sea typhoon warning, the city government may announce controlled areas. Members of the public who forcibly enter mountainous areas or delay evacuation may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000. In the event of an accident requiring search and rescue operations by the city government, the rescued individuals may be charged for necessary expenses exceeding insurance compensation, including dispatch, deployment, and rental of rescue equipment and vehicles.
The “Taichung City Mountain Activities Management Autonomous Ordinance” was approved at today’s municipal government meeting and still needs to be submitted to the city council for review. Mayor Lin Chia-lung stated that this is a pioneering move that balances safety and the rights of citizens to engage in mountain activities. The regulation that search and rescue costs are borne by the rescued reflects the user-pays principle, which he believes will receive strong public support.
Taichung City will be divided into general control and special control mountain areas. When engaging in mountain activities in either type of area, individuals should carry positioning devices, including GPS units or smartphones with positioning capabilities, as well as emergency communication equipment such as satellite phones, mobile phones, or radios.
If mountain activities take place in special control mountain areas, they must be led by a team leader who possesses basic emergency rescue skills and holds relevant certifications such as a Basic Life Support certification or Emergency Medical Technician license. The team leader must also have mountaineering comprehensive insurance. Violators may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.
Mayor Lin Chia-lung also reminded that currently, insurers require a group of five or more people to purchase mountaineering insurance. He has asked the Fire Bureau to communicate with the Financial Supervisory Commission to discuss amending this rule, aiming to remove the five-person minimum and increase emergency rescue coverage payments. As Taichung’s mountain areas border neighboring counties and cities, he hopes that nearby regions such as Yilan, Nantou, and Miaoli will also establish related regulations.
(China Times)