1

Top-Tier Country in Disaster Management
Geographical Character of Japan – linked to disasters Japan lies on four plates – which fact has made the country frequently
face earthquakes and volcano eruptions
 Land area not-so-large as well as mountainous – which gets the rivers
steep Located in Asian Monsoon area – hit by typhoons and torrential shower
 Areas suitable for residence limited – forcing many people to live close toseaside, river sides and active volcano
No. of earthquakes ofmagnitude 6.0 or greater(2006-2015)
Source: JMA and USGS

Japan
290（17.8%）
World
1,634

雪降る中での野営Japan
110（Approx. 7%）

No. of active volcanoes(2016)

Source: Cabinet Office website

World
Approx. 1,500

The avoidable conditions mentioned above, leading toaccumulated experiences in disaster management.
宮城県気仙沼市における救出活動

22

What to take away in this presentation:
1. Basic structure and arrangement of fire service inJapan – tasked with firefighting, ambulance service
and rescue activities, a top-tier country on thisplanet in disaster experiences.
*Although Japan has 1/4 % of land over the world, nearly 20% earthquakes
at magnitude >= 6.0 occurred in Japan and 7% active volcanos located there.)

2. What Japanese fire service organizations havelearnt through past large scale disasters andimplemented based on the lessons.
31. Basic Arrangement in Fire Service- Referring to Search and Rescue in Great East Japan Earthquake -2. Utilizing Lessons Learnt by Disaster Experience2-1. Step Up National Fire-Service Team2-2. Enhance Capacity of Volunteers
2-3. Facilitate People to Secure Safeties41-1. Institutional Arrangement in Fire Services- Central Government, Prefectures and Municipalities -Mission: Firefighting, Ambulance Service and Rescue Activity
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 firefighting operation as well as
ambulance service and rescue service inaccordance with situation and condition ofmunicipalities on their own initiative5

1-2. Institutional Arrangement in Fire Services – with figures
Fire andDisasterManagement
Agency(FDMA) Designing basic fire fighting measures and policies
 Providing technical advices, education and training Conducting research
 Running college and research organization as affiliated organizations
 Around 170 staff members in total

Prefectures

 Running fire service academy for education and training

RegularFirefighting Professional first responder units to provide fireservice, rescue activity and ambulance service onsite 728 fire service organizations, established bymunicipalities, and 164,873 firefighters across thenation 11,701 fire engines, 6,329 ambulance cars and 1,237
rescue cars

VolunteerFirefighting

 2,209 volunteer fire corps groups and 843,667
members in the country, with 14,054 fire engines

Municipalities* Figures above are as of 1st April, 2018.

6

1-3. Structure of Fire and Disaster Management
Basic Structure ofFire and Disaster Management
Municipalities andcommunities
playing the mainrole in fire service
and disaster
response Designing and drafting
umbrella rules on fireservice and disastermanagement
 Providing technicaladvices, education andtraining Conducting researchesetc.

Communities

Volunteer Fire Corps

Municipalities

Regular Fire Service

Prefectures
Support

FDMA

For Large Scale Disasters
 Functioning as
the control
tower for thedisaster
response

FDMA

RequestInstruction
Prefectures
Municipalities

Regular Fire Service

Communities

Volunteer Fire Corps7

1-4. FDMA Operation in Large-Scale Disasters
FDMA Disaster Task Force

Crisis Management Centerat Prime Minister’s Office

Reporting and sharingof disaster hit area
situation

Information collection
from disaster hit areas

Coordination for deploy of
National Fire-Service Team

Local government officein disaster hit area8

1-5. National Fire-Service Team for Disaster Response

The Elite Units that Rush for Rescue from Various Regions across the Country
Great Earthquake, Tsunami, Huge Flood, Powerful
Volcano Eruption, Wide-Spread Fires ….

 Request of leader in disaster hit area to FDMA, or FDMA commissioner’s instruction - even without
any request
The National Fire-Service Team for Disaster Response is formed
with municipality-based fire service responders turning into themembers of the national team.
 Established in 1995
 Having been dispatched to disaster hit areas in the event of large scale disasters
39 times ever, such as earthquake, landslide, flood, and volcano eruption that put
huge damages on people Composed of 5,978 units (Firefighting: 2,372, Rescue: 504, Ambulance: 1,424
Air: 75 and so forth) as of April 20199

1-6. National Fire-Service Team in Great East Japan Earthquake
 Just after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, the National Fire-Service Team for Disaster
Response was formed and dispatched to the three prefectures - Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, with an
instruction of the FDMA Commissioner.
 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

6000

National Fire-Service Team
Progress of the number of firefighters dispatched
Period：11th March, 2011 through 6th June, 2011 (88 Days)
18th March
Maximum 6,835 firefighters（1,870 Units）

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.

6th June
92 firefighters（32 Units）

010

1-6. National Fire-Service Team in Great East Japan Earthquake

11 111-6. National Fire-Service Team in Great East Japan Earthquake121-7. Damages Caused by Great East Japan Earthquake(As of March 1st, 2019)

1. Total Damages
Damage to Human
Dead ：

19,689Missing ： 2,563

Iwate pref.
5, 141
1, 114

Miyagi pref.
10, 565
1, 221

Fukushimapref.
3 , 868
224（Dead and Missing in total ： 22,252）
Casualty ： 6,233

213

4,148

183

Damage to Buildings

Iwate pref.

Miyagi pref. Fukushima pref.

Fully destroyed ： 121,995

19, 50883, 004

15, 435

Half destroyed ： 282,939

6, 571

155,130

82 , 783

Partially destroyed ： 745,109

19, 064

224, 202

141, 053

Cases of Fire

Iwate pref.

Miyagi pref.

Fukushima pref.

330

33

137

38

2. Damages on Fire Services
Firefighters

Dead/Missing ： 27

Volunteer

Damage on Buildings（fully, half or partiallydestroyed）

Headquarters and Fire Stations：143,
Branch Stations：161

Damage on
Buildings（out of use）

Damage on Vehicles etc.

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

Firefighters

Damage on
Vehicles etc.

Dead/Missing ： 254
Depot of volunteer fire corps：
463
Vehicles：25513

1-8. Major Natural Disasters since Great East Japan Earthquake
Year & Month

Disasters

Casualties

2011. 8-9

Typhoon #12

98

2014. 8Huge Scale Landslide in Hiroshima

77

2014. 9Volcano Eruption at Mt Ontake

63

2016. 4

Kumamoto Earthquake

273

2018. 6-7

2018 Japan Floods2452018. 9

Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake

Mt Ontake
Volcano Eruption
宮城県気仙沼市における救出活動

Kumamoto Earthquake

雪降る中での野営

42

Western Japan Flood

1414

1-9. Large Scale Earthquakes Forecasted to Occur in the Future

Japan is surrounded by four
plates. Plus, it is said that about
2,000 active faults exist in Japan.

Source of the description here from long term research
about trench type earthquake made by Earthquake
Research Committee, Headquarters for Promotion ofEarthquake Research

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

M7 class earthquake may occur with around
70% of probability in the next 30 years.

M8 to M9 class earthquake may occur witharound 70% of probability in the next 30 years. ＜Estimated Damage＞＜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)（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

1. Basic Arrangement in Fire Service- Referring to Search and Rescue in Great East Japan Earthquake -2. Utilizing Lessons Learnt by Disaster Experience2-1. Step Up National Fire-Service Team2-2. Enhance Capacity of Volunteers
2-3. Facilitate People to Secure Safeties162-1-1. Stepping Up National Fire-Service Team throughExperience of Great East Japan Earthquake
1. Need to strengthen the logistic and back-up teams so that the national Fire
Service Team can keep on their activities in a long period and also in wider
areas
Introducing Operation Base Vehicle and Large Air Tent

Operation Base Vehicle

Large Air Tent

2. Need to make sure of alternative ways that the rescue teams can arrive at
disaster hit areas swiftly even in the case that the roads are blocked due todamages caused by disaster
Increasing the helicopter bases across the nation so that the rescue
teams can dash to disaster hit areas with helicopters, no matter how
the road conditions are
75 helicopters on active, forfirefighting and disaster
response throughout Japan

Rescue activity basewith rescue tools storageand oil depot

17

2-1-1. Stepping Up National Fire-Service Team throughExperience of Great East Japan Earthquake
3. Need to enable the rescue teams to keep the high mobility in the flood,
the tsunami-hit and the rubble area
Introducing Small Amphibious Buggy and Tsunami/Large-Scale Water
Disaster Countermeasure Vehicle

Small Amphibious Buggy

Tsunami/Large-Scale Water Disaster Countermeasure Vehicle

Specializing in the search and rescue at flood areas, loading
boat, buggy, life jacket and dry suit18

2-1-1. Stepping Up National Fire-Service Team throughExperience of Great East Japan Earthquake
4. Need to enhance the arrangement to gather and share information
on disaster damages
Installation of Heli-Sat system
Communication
satellite
Live pictures

Heli-Sat

Heli-TV
Emergency operation room

Ground antenna

Advantageous Aspects of Heli Sat, Compared to Heli TV – a conventional system Able to directly transmit images to disaster management institutions - no need to use
ground antenna which is fragile to disasters such as earthquake and landslide, as well as
to cut the cost to build ground antennas
 Possible to receive radio waves free from constraints of terrain
192-1-1. Stepping Up National Fire-Service Team throughExperience of Great East Japan Earthquake
5. Need to create a special unit dedicated to firefighting at petro complex
Forming new fire response team, “Dragon Hyper Command Unit”
Water Cannon
VehicleMega Volume
Pumper Dedicated to extraordinary disaster response activities at energy andindustrial infrastructures
 Can discharge the larger volume of water to farther and higher point for longer time than ordinary
fire engine
20

2-1-2. Collaboration among Disaster Response Forces- in National Fire-Service Team Disaster Exercise
Joint Rescue Activity
Rescue teams
both of fireservice andpolice are jointly
in operation.

On-site 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 Organization
and Industrial Firefighters

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
Coordination and Support

Disaster Management
Headquarter at thecentral governments21

1. Basic Arrangement in Fire Service- Referring to Search and Rescue in Great East Japan Earthquake -2. Utilizing Lessons Learnt by Disaster Experience2-1. Step Up National Fire-Service Team2-2. Enhance Capacity of Volunteers
2-3. Facilitate People to Secure Safeties222-2-1. Significance of Volunteers in Disaster Management（as of April 1, 2018）

Regular Fire Services(732 Fire Defense Headquarters)
about 165,000 personnel

Volunteer Fire Services(2,209 groups)
about 844,000 members

NPOs
Community Volunteers
Corporations

Voluntary Disaster Preventing Groups(164,195 groups)
about 44 millions23

2-2-2. Volunteer Fire Corps
Volunteer Fire Corps:
1.

Close to Community
Have known their own community and its situation better than professionals

2.

Robust Mobilization
Composed of five times more members than professionals

3.

Rapid Response
Can start firefighting/rescue even before professionals attend the incident scene
because of undergoing high level training

Searching for victims in landslide disaster(Hiroshima-City)

Supporting firefighter’s rescue activity with power shovel(Oshima-Cho)24

2-2-3. Significance of Volunteer Fire Corps Proved A village which was stricken by a 15m high tsunami in Great East Japan
Earthquake didn’t see any casualty.

Volunteer Fire Corps not only instructed people to dash to high hills but also
closed the roads toward lower places so that people couldn’t go down before
the tsunami warning is lifted. This tactful idea and action were thanks to theirregular disaster drill.

 Even with a magnitude-6.7 earthquake in mid-night winter 2014, all of
the residents in a village survived.

An original map for emergency operation where the location of people inneed for evacuation was plotted – quite useful to save and guide the people
to evacuation instantly.

These good practices proved the significance ofthe volunteer fire corps in disaster management.
FDMA has taken measures to encourage people to join thevolunteer fire corps and enhance their capabilities throughproviding training and equipment.

25

1. Basic Arrangement in Fire Service- Referring to Search and Rescue in Great East Japan Earthquake -2. Utilizing Lessons Learnt by Disaster Experience2-1. Step Up National Fire-Service Team2-2. Enhance Capacity of Volunteers
2-3. Facilitate People to Secure Safeties26

2-3-1. New Phase - Facilitate People to Secure Their Safety Climate change and global warning,
causing unprecedented natural
disasters

 Aging population and globalization
in society

雪降る中での野営

 Demand for professional emergency response ballooning People need to do self-preparedness to secure their safety – evacuation.
 Plus, the central/local governments required to assist people in properand timely evacuation.
27

27

2-3-2. Overview of “J-ALERT”
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(J-ALERT）

Municipalities

Information
Transmission
Monitor

Ballistic
missile, etc.
JMA

FDMA

Receiver

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

Indoorbroadcasting28

2-3-3. Diversification of Disaster Warning Channel
 Prompt disaster warning to people significant to save their lives from disasters
 One-type method to transmit the disaster warnings not sufficient Loud speakers – the most familiar way of early warning transmission, but
fragile to earthquake and tsunami
 Warning voices outside buildings difficult to listen to amid heavy rain
 Not everyone with mobile phones – especially the elder

 Diversification of disaster information channel necessary to promote
Loud speaker
E mailTV, Web, SNS
Municipality

PeopleSpeaker Installed in House
Radio, TV with automatic starter
Automatic message via telephone29

2-3-4. Designation of Evacuation Place by Disaster Type Evacuation area not necessarily perfect for every kind of disaster.
 Municipalities required to designate areas as the evacuation places according
to the type of disaster
Evacuation Area Sign
To make it clear which type ofdisaster the evacuation place issuitable to*In this case, not suitable for
evacuation in Tsunami

To clarify that here is an evacuation
area which is designated by local
authority

TsunamiFlood

Debris Flow

LandslideFires

The pictures to show thetype of disasters are
standardized across thenation so that people caneasily recognize themeanings wherever theyare.
30

2-3-5. Proper Issuance of Evacuation Order Municipal mayor responsible for issuing evacuation order In some cases, the evacuation order too late to protect people from disasters

 The government created a guideline regarding evacuation order formunicipalities.
 Advice regarding the timing to issue the evacuation order –what disaster warning should be used to trigger issuance ofthe evacuation order Recommended to issue the evacuation order when finding
necessary – rather than holding back due to too cautious
about people’s complaint “NOTHING HAPPENED!” Clarifying which agent/authority the municipalities betterask for an advice in consideration of evacuation order- situation by situation31 No way to control the earth, the natural world or the climate
 Preparedness is the only measure to minimize the damage
 Learning the lesson gets the preparedness robust

Thank you very much for listening.

32