JAPAN-MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON FIRE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT 2017

Emergency Response by
Japanese Fire Service Organizations
Tokiyoshi YAMADA
Director, National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster,Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Japan
6th December, 2017

I. Institutional Arrangement for Firefighting
and Disaster Management in Japan１

Local Autonomy in Japan
Two tier system – composed of prefecture and municipality

CentralGovernment

47

1,718 Municipalities

Prefectures(Cities, Towns and Villages)

 The central government and local governments have equal and co-operative
relationships, not hierarchical or superior-subordinate relationships.
 The fundamental public services are mainly provided by local governments – welfare
being, primary education, sanitation, fire service.
 The central government’s “involvement” with local governments’ policy and operation
is limited in the scope which the laws and the regulations permit.
2

Cooperation among the central government, prefectures andmunicipalities for fire services
Central government(Fire and Disaster Management Agency) Designing basic fire fighting measures and policies
 Providing technical advices, education and training Conducting researchPrefectures

 Running fire academy to provide
fire defense education and training.

Municipalities Day to day fire service operation as well as
ambulance service and rescue service inaccordance with situation and condition ofcity/town/village on its municipality’s
initiative3

Institutional Arrangement in Fire Services
Fire andDisasterManagement
Agency(FDMA)

Prefectures

 Designing basic fire fighting measures and policies
 Providing technical advices, education and training Conducting research College and research organization as affiliated organizations
 Around 170 staff members in total

 Running fire service academy for education and training

RegularFirefighting Professional first responder units to provide fireservice, rescue activity and ambulance service onsite
 732 fire service organizations, established bymunicipalities, and 163,814 firefighters across thenationVolunteerFirefighting

 2,209 volunteer fire corps groups and 850,418
members in the country

Municipalities

4

Fundamental Arrangement for Activities by Fire Service Organization
Extraordinary Disaster

Ordinary Fire, Accident & Disaster

Managed by local fire service
organization, which isestablished by municipalities

A市

FDMA to function as the control towerwith dispatching the Emergency Fire
Response Team to the disaster hit area
Coordination to dispatch
the Emergency Fire Response Team
Request from Prefectural Governor of Disaster Hit Area

732 fire service organizations across the nation with 163,814
professional firefighters and 850,418 volunteer fire corps

Large Scale Fire, Accident & Disaster

Prefecture to lead thefire service
organizations within its
location to support the
local fire service
organization in disasterhit area

FDMA Commissioner’s Instruction or Request
to call out local fire service organizations
outside the disaster hit area

The Emergency Fire Response Team to beformed to dash to the disaster hit area

5

Emergency Fire Response Team- the elite units that rush for rescue from various regions across the country

 Established in 1995
 Having been dispatched to disaster hit areas in the event of large scale or extraordinary disasters 34 times ever, such as earthquake, landslide, flood, volcano
eruption that put huge damages on people Composed of 5,658 units (Firefighting: 2,088, Rescue: 476, Ambulance: 1,310
Air: 75 and so forth) at the beginning of April 20176

II. Fire Service Organization’s Response to
Extraordinary Disasters

7Damage in Great East Japan Earthquake
On 14:46, March 11th 2011, a great earthquake at the magnitude of 9.0 hit northern east Japan,
causing huge tsunami to strike the wide coastal area with leaving around 20 thousands people
dead and 2.6 thousands people missing.
Character of the Disaster The largest scale earthquake on record in Japan.
 Shaking a lot of areas in northern part of Japan for six minutes on and off.
 Causing the huge tsunami - the main cause of the casualty and the damage in the disaster hit areas
 At most, around 450 thousands people were forced to be evacuated – 140 thousands of whom stillcannot return to the original place to live in.
 The aftershocks at the magnitude of more than 5.0 have occurred around a thousand times.

Outline of Damage as of September 1st
2016

Casualty

Iwate pref.

Dead ： 19,575

5, 136

Missing ： 2,577

1,121

Miyagi pref. Fukushima pref.
10, 563
1, 227

Damage to Buildings

Iwate pref.

Miyagi pref.

Fukushima pref.

Fully destroyed ： 121,776

19, 50783, 002

15,224

Half destroyed ： 280,326

6, 571

155,12980,793

Partially destroyed ： 744,269

18, 979

224, 202

141, 040

Cases of Fire

Iwate pref.

Miyagi pref.

Fukushima pref.

330

33

137

38

3 , 762225（Dead and Missing in total ： 22,062）
Injured ： 6,230

211

4,148

182

8

Damage in Great East Japan Earthquake and Activities of Fire Service Organization
Outline of Damage on Fire Service Organizations
Volunteer Fire Service

Regular Fire Service
Firefighters

Dead and Missing ： 27

Damage on Buildings（fully, half or partiallydestroyed）

Headquarters and Firestations：143,
Branch stations：161

Damage on Vehicles
etc.

Vehicles：86, Fire boat：2,
Helicopter： 1

VolunteerFirefighters

Dead and Missing ： 254

Damage on
Buildings（out of use）

Depot of volunteer fire corps：
450

Damage on
Vehicles etc.

Vehicles：251

Emergency Responses by Fire Service Organizations

 Local fire service organization based in the disaster hit areas carried out firefighting, rescue,
ambulance service as well as instructed people to evacuation in coordination with other fire
departments in the same prefecture which dashed there for support.
 Volunteer Fire Corps based in local area, in addition to the above mentioned activities, didflood control such as closing water gates, etc..
ふなこし In deeply damaged three prefectures, firefighters were dispatched from inland area to coastside for supporting activities.
こ し だ ひろし

こ しだ ふじお Also, volunteer firefighters based in the inland were dispatched to coast side, and the total
number of volunteer firefighters mobilized to the disaster-hit areas were over 1,400.
 Examples of rescue activities enforced by fire service organization, etc.
Rescued 200 people isolated at Funakoshi elementary school in Iwate pref, 630 people
isolated at Onagawa town in Miyagi pref and 600 people isolated at Kesennuma city in Miyagi pref.
9

Emergency Fire Response Team activities in deeply damaged areas
due to Great East Japan Earthquake
 Just after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, Emergency Fire Response Teams weredispatched to the three prefectures - Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, with an instruction of theCommissioner of FDMA.
 The firefighters mobilized in the great earthquake amounts to about 30,000, accounting of around 20%of all the firefighters in Japan.
 The ground units made firefighting, rescue and ambulance service while the aviation units carried out
rescue, aerial firefighting and information collection, having saved 5,064 people.

8000

Emergency Fire Respond Team
Progress of the number of firefighters
Period：11th March, 2011 through 6th June, 2011 (88 Days)
Total：109,919 firefighters (31,166 Units)

6000

4000

2000

1st mobilization instruction : to 20prefecture
2nd mobilization instruction : to 2pref.
3rd mobilization instruction : to 6pref.
4th mobilization instruction : to 2pref.
5th mobilization instruction : to 13pref.
6th mobilization instruction : to 1pref.

18th March
Maximum 6,835
firefighters
6th June
92 firefighters（32 Units）

0

10

Kumamoto Earthquake 2016
Outline of Damages
 A series of earthquakes, which started with the magnitude – 6.5 quake on 14th April 2016, hit a wider area in
Kyushu region with Kumamoto prefecture, the center of Kyushu, significantly damaged.
 The magnitude – 7.3 quake, which occurred on 16th April, is the biggest one in the series, causing the hugedamages in Kumamoto prefecture and Oita prefecture, east of Kumamoto.
 Many of the quakes occurred at a depth of 10 km – so shallow that the buildings around the epicenter were
badly damaged.
 Causality; 50 and Injured; 2,790
 Completely damaged buildings; 8,674, Half damaged; 34,563 and Partially damaged ; 162,312
Search and Rescue by Fire Service Organization
 376 people were rescued by the rescuers from the fire service organizations – around 3,700 firefighters andabout 9,200 volunteer fire corps, who made the efforts on site together with other emergency responders
including the Self Defense Force, police and medical team.
 The ambulance service teams took 2,285 people to hospital.
Emergency Fire Response Team The Emergency Fire Response Team started its search and rescue activity just after the first earthquake hit mainly
Kumamoto and the activity lasted for 14 days.
 Additional units joined in the search and rescue activities after another great impact happened due to themagnitude 7.3 quake on 16th April. The following day saw the largest number of the rescuers from fire service
organizations including around 2,000 Emergency Fire Response Team members.
 The land units worked for the search and rescue in city centers and landslides in cooperation with other first
responders, while the aerial units did the information collection on the disaster affected areas.
 In Kumamoto, 86 people were saved and 388 people taken to hospital by the Emergency Fire Response Team.

11

Kumamoto Earthquake 2016
Aso Bridge collapsed due to huge landslide

Search and Rescue at landslide

Search and Rescue at night

13

12
11

Water Damages in Northern Kyushu due to Record-Hit Torrential Shower
Outline of Damages
 The record-hit torrential shower has stricken northern part of Kyushu
region – Asakura City and Hita City most affected with the huge rainfall,
the one day amount of which was equivalent to the one month.
 The heavy rain caused flood in various areas, creating the damages on
the residents and the communities - 37 people died, 4 missing and 16
injured, and around 1,500 houses fully or partially destroyed.

Landslide and flood destroyedcommunities

Search and Rescue by Fire Service Organization
 Neighboring local fire service organizations dashed to the affectedareas based on the mutual assistance agreement, joined by Emergency
Fire Response Team, to carry out the search and rescue at thecommunities isolated by landslides, flooded road and drifted timbers.
Emergency Fire Response Team The Emergency Fire Response Team was organized basedon the prefectural governor’s request with around 1,000
rescuers of 262 units dispatched.
 The ground units worked for the search and rescue withshovel cars and amphibious baggies in cooperation withother first responders, while the aerial units proved its
usefulness through its activities to rescue the people
stranded in the isolated place All-terrain vehicle, named Red Salamander, took action tocarry rescuers to the isolated areas, getting over tough roadconditions – too bad for normal rescue truck to approach.

A house squashed by bunch ofdrifted woods

Search & Rescue

Red Salamander

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III. Enhancing Disaster Management Capability
against Possible Large Scale Disasters

14

Major Large Scale Earthquakes Forecasted to Occur in the Future
Source of the description here from long term research about
trench type earthquake made by Earthquake ResearchCommittee, Headquarters for Promotion of Earthquake
ResearchJapan is surrounded by 4 plates. 20% ofearthquake（more than M6） in the world
have occurred in Japan.
And, it is said that about 2,000 active faults
exist in Japan.

Trench type earthquakes inthe vicinity of the Japanand the Chishima Trenches（along with Chishima Trench, offshoreof Sanriku to Boso）

The aftermath of Great East Japan
Earthquake, over M7 may occur in the
future.

Tokyo Inland Earthquake

Nankai Trough Earthquake
M8 to M9 class earthquake may occur witharound 70% of probability in the next 30 years.
＜Estimated Damage(Ｍ9.1(Maximum Value))＞・Casualties about 320,000 people
・Economic Loss : Approx. 220 trillion JPY,
equivalent to 1.8 trillion USD (JPY/USD=120 applied)(other earthquake in southern area of Kanto)

M7 class earthquake may occur with around
70% of probability in the next 30 years.
＜Estimated Damage＞（Inland of Southern Midtown Earthquake
Ｍ7.3(Maximum Value)・Casualties about 23,000 people (Casualties byfire about 16,000 people）
・Economic Loss : Approx. 95 trillion JPY,
equivalent to 0.8 trillion USD (JPY/USD=120
applied)15

Overview of “J-ALEART”
The national early warning system “J-ALERT” can instantly transmit emergency information, suchas ballistic missile and earthquake early warning, both via a satellite and online from the central
government to local governments. The information the local governments receive is automaticallydelivered to local residents through various devices like outdoor/indoor broadcasting systems.

Central Government
CabinetSecretariat

Local Governments
Satellite

Municipalities

Information
Transmission(J-ALERT）
Monitor
Ballistic
missile, etc.

FDMA

Receiver

JMA

OnlineEarthquake
early warning,
Tsunamiwarning, etc.

Local Residents

Automatic Starter

Disaster
Information
Wireless
Broadcasting
SystemIP Notification
Server
Cable TV
Community FM
Broadcasting
Corporations

Outdoorbroadcasting

IP notification
terminal unit

Indoorbroadcasting16

Stepping up Emergency Fire Response TeamThe 3rd fundamental Plan of Emergency Fire Response team
Increase the units to 6,000 by March 2019, as a main measure to combat the possible large
scale disasters including the Nankai Trough Earthquake, based on the lessons learned
through the Great East Japan Earthquake
The previous targets; 1st plan - 4,000 by March 2009, 2nd plan 4,500 - by March 2014

 Put the primary focus on the three core units – firefighting, ambulance and rescue, to be increased.
 Establish a special unit dedicated to firefighting at industrial complexes – 12 units by 2018
 Create a new kind of unit with the high mobility to dash to the disaster hit area - strengthen the initial
response, such as the fact finding on site.
 Make the back up system more robust to prepare for a long-period search and rescue.
 Ensure the communication among the units and the headquarter on site, through forming 50 new units
equipped with the telecommunication devices and the equipment against communication blackout

17

Stepping up Emergency Fire Response Team Operation Base Forming Vehicle and Large Air Tent to strengthen the logistic
and back-up teams so that Emergency Fire Response Team can keep on
their activities in a long period and also in wider areas.
 Operation Base Forming Vehicle is equipped with large air tents, lavatories,
shower facilities and information and communication devices.

2. Need to secure alternative ways that the rescue teams can arrive at disasterhit areas swiftly even in the case that the roads are closed due to damages
caused by disaster.

Operation Base Forming Vehicle

Large Air Tent
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Stepping up Emergency Fire Response Team Small Amphibious Buggy and Tsunami/Large-Scale Water Disaster
Countermeasure Vehicle enable the rescue teams to keep the high mobility
in the flood, the tsunami-hit and the rubble area.

Small Amphibious Buggy

Tsunami/Large-Scale Water Disaster Countermeasure Vehicle

Specialize in the rescue activities at flood areas, loading
devices and tools such as boat, buggy, life jacket anddry suit
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Stepping up Emergency Fire Response Team“Dragon Hyper Command Unit”- The Special Unit Dedicated to Firefighting at Petro Complex Water Cannon
VehicleMega Volume
Pumper Dedicated to extraordinary disaster response activities at energy and industrial
infrastructures
 Can discharge the larger volume of water to farther and higher point than ordinary fireenginepumping 8,000l/min, 1km distance from water resource and discharge 8,000l/min to fire point At present, six units formed in Ichihara, Yokkaichi, Shizuoka, Kobe, Kurashiki andKagoshima, which have mega-sized industrial complexes in their city
 By 2018 to deploy 12 units in total to the areas close to large petrochemicalcomplexes across the nation20

Collaboration among Disaster Response Forces(in Emergency Fire Response Team Disaster Exercise)
Joint Rescue Activity
Rescue teams
both of fireservice andpolice are jointly
in operation.

Field Emergency
Command Post
（jointly operated by fire service,police,Self Defense Force, DMAT
(medical team), Coast Guard etc)

Fire Service
Organizations andJapan Coast
Guard jointly
search and rescue
castaways.
Joint Search and Rescue Activities
Firefighting by Fire Service Organizationand industrial Firefighters
Dragon Hyper Command Unit in collaboration
with industrial firefighters makes firefighting at
petrochemical complex.

Medical Treatment immediately after rescue
The rescue teams
save people,
followed by DMAT
medical treatment
on site.
SDF clears stuff
on roads to enablefirefighters to rush
to disaster hit
areas.

Coordination

SDF clearing roads for firefighting
Transportation of firefighters by SDF Carrier

Disaster Management
Headquarter at local
governments

SDF Carrier Aircrafts transports
firefighters and fire engines tofrontline .

Coordination and Support

Disaster Management
Headquarter at thecentral governments

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Regional Fire Management and Disaster Prevention Structure（as of April 1, 2017）

Regular Fire Services
Fire Service
Organizations(732 Fire Defense Headquarters)
about 162,000 personnel*

including female members
about 24,980 members

Volunteer Fire Services(2,209 stations)about 850,000 members

NPOs
Volunteers
Corporations

Voluntary Disaster Preventing Organizations(161,847 organizations)about 43.30 million members** as of April 1, 201622

Volunteer Fire Fighter
Summary of Volunteer Fire Fighter Part-time local civil servants, acting under the slogan “Protection of ourcommunity by ourselves”
 Having authority and duty to carry out fire defense activity in community The initial response to disasters on the front line The number of volunteer firefighters used to be over one million, but iscurrently falling to below 0.9 million.

Searching people in landslide disaster(Hiroshima-City)

Supporting firefighter’s rescue activity withpower shovel (Oshima-Cho)23

Current Status of Volunteer Fire Fighters
The law concerning step-up of community disaster prevention capability with
Volunteer Fire Fighters playing the center role
Aim: for the safety of the residents, upgrading and enhancing the community disaster prevention capability
with a focus on Volunteer Fire Fighters

1. Number of Volunteer Fire Fighters
250

2. Number of female members
30,000The number of members of volunteer fire corps(Unit: 10,000persons）

25,00020,000200

15,00015,502

16,69917,87921,684
20,109 20,785
19,043 19,577

22,74723,89424,98010,0001,944,233

5,000

150

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

100

996,743

850,41850

01955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

3. Number of college student members
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

1,370 1,467 1,515

2007

2008

2009

1,804 2,056

2010

2011

2,335 2,417

2012

2013

2,725

2014

3,017 3,221

2015

2016

3,970

2017

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Enhancement of the Capacity to Handle NBC Disasters
 To increase Special Disaster Response Unit of Emergency Fire
Response TeamThe unit to rescue people from NBC disasters with chemical protection suits and speciallycustomized vehicles which contain the detector

２８４ units

３００ unitsby 2018

Chemical Protection Suit

 Tools and equipment to combat NBC disasters deployed to rescue teams in fireservice organizations
Equipment and Tools
 Portable biological agent
detector
 Portable chemical agent
detector Positive pressure chemical
protective suit
 Decontamination shower

Vehicle Special disaster response vehicle(NBC disaster response vehicle)

 Large Decontamination System
Vehicle25

FDMA’s Effort in Countermeasures to NBC Terrorism
To strengthen the countermeasure by the fire service organization to NBC terrorism,
especially to ensure the safety for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic.

 To establish a special arrangement for fire service organization’s preparedness aroundthe venues – calling out the responders based in the cities other than Tokyo Vehicles and equipment to enhance security for the games - decontamination detecting
instruments
Large Decontamination
System Vehicle ↓ Capacity development for special force in NBC disaster

Large Decontamination System↑ To educate the fire fighters and the staff at the venues in NBC disasters
 Civil protection exercise jointly by the central government and the local authorities
Firefighter’s Preparedness and Exercise for the Japan and S. Korea FIFA world cup 2002

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Thank you very much for listening.