Firefighters are calling for more manpower and better equipment. The call came Tuesday, a week after six firefighters were killed in a blaze in Taoyuan County.
The National Association for Firefighters’ Rights members protested in front of the interior ministry. They said the government is an “accomplice” to the death of a score of firefighters over the past two years due to its failure to push for reforms.
Firefighters demanded the government boost their manpower, conduct regular safety checks, replace outdated equipment and drop what they called “ineffective evaluations.”
The association said though the government promised to add more than 2,900 firefighters within two years, it is far from enough. That’s because as many as 15,000 positions need to be filled.
An interior ministry official has promised to map out a reform plan by February 10th, including a mechanism to review the protective gear and thermal imagery equipment firefighters need.