The quake also urged the strengthening of the government's capability in
emergency rescue and relief. China Earthquake Administration's rescue team had
been expanded from 220 to 500 people. The national team was now able to
undertake simultaneously and round-the-clock 18 rescue operations at nine sites,
against the three sites a year before. Rapid report of major earthquakes was
faster, within 10 minutes after the strike for the provincial capital cities'
neighboring areas and 20 minutes for many other parts of the country, both five
minutes quicker than a year earlier.
May 12 was designated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs as a national
"Disaster Protection and Reduction Day". This was to remind people of taking
precautions against disasters. On this memorial day, governments in the country
were expected to stage various disaster protection educational or training
events.
The revised Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
went to effect on May 1. Together with the Constitution, the Law on Emergency
Response, and Regulations on Government Information Release, the disaster combat
work had a solid legal basis in China.
However, the fire that broke out on Feb. 9 at the new CCTV headquarters,
which was caused by fireworks, showed the urban disaster protection system was
not without worries. In many Chinese big cities clusters of high-rise buildings
are a common scene. The safety and fire-fighting capability of the urban areas
should be a focus of the future disaster-combating work.
Last September, an inspection team composed of members of the country's top
political advisory body toured a number of provinces to observe the disaster
emergency response system. They found that, in general, the emergency response
administrative and regulatory system was incomplete, the monitoring and
pre-warning system was weak, and public involvement was inadequate.
Now, a year after the Wenchuan earthquake, raising the awareness and
strengthening the mechanism of disaster combating had become a focal point of
the government work.
"We are about to organize an Earthquake Preparation and Disaster Reduction
Knowledge Competition involving 500,000 participants, in an attempt to impart
the knowledge to people in schools, companies, communities, townships and
villages," Sichuan Earthquake Administration deputy director Wang Li said.
The quake combating work in Sichuan was a comprehensive effort that
centered on preparation.
The government took the lead, and the general public, people from all walks
of life, are expected to join in.
"Only when you're fully prepared, will you be free from panic," Wang Li
said with a thoughtful look.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan
Earthquake
