A firefighters’ group stage a protest in front of the Ministry of the Interior on Monday to highlight a shortage of manpower.
The group believes that a shortage of manpower is to blame for the deaths of six firefighters in the gas pipe explosions that rocked Kaohsiung on the night of July 31.
The group estimates that there is a shortage of 13,000 firefighters. The group called on the Ministry of the Interior to accept responsibility for this shortage. Protestors were also upset at what they called a lack of adequate equipment for firefighters.
In response, the deputy director of the National Fire Agency said Monday that as of August, there was a shortage of 1,427 firefighters. The deputy director said that by 2017, the agency plans to recruit and train 2,925 new firefighters, bringing the shortage to an end. In response to allegations of a shortage of adequate equipment, the deputy director said that firefighters in Kaohsiung have gas detectors at their disposal to ensure their safety.