Communication Strategies and Experience from the New Taipei Swift Search and Rescue Team during Typhoon Khanun, 2023, Nantou County, Taiwan

Summary: On August 5, 2023, the impact of Typhoon Khanun in Ren’ai Township, Nantou County, central Taiwan, led to significant disaster situations. The New Taipei City Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was deployed to assist, working alongside the national SAR team and the local SAR teams from Nantou County and Taichung City Fire Departments for three days. This article explores the use of coordinated communication by the New Taipei SAR Team during the disaster relief efforts, aiming to enhance future rescue directions and strategies. Coordinated communication is the process of utilizing various organizational resources to enable a group of individuals or teams with a common goal to work together more effectively and efficiently. The emergency response structure is organized hierarchically from top to bottom, including the Local Emergency Management Authority (LEMA), the Coordination Center, SAR teams, and rescuers. The flow of information between these levels consists of a downward path where higher-level units formulate and confirm plans before briefing lower levels, and an upward path where frontline units receive tasks, collect firsthand data on-site, analyze it, and report back to higher levels. This cycle of information flow continues until the mission is concluded. The smooth operation of this communication model is facilitated by a network of diverse communication channels and equipment, including regular meetings or face-to-face discussions, the use of computers and wireless networks, radios, smartphones, messaging apps, or email. Regardless of the chosen methods, having multiple communication channels is crucial for disaster response. In summary, the experience of the New Taipei SAR Team during this rescue mission underscores the importance of coordinated communication in disaster response, providing valuable insights for future strategies to enhance rescue collaboration and resource utilization.