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The Basic Plan for Disaster Prevention based on the Disaster Counter measures Basic Act concerning the Measures against Disaster has been amended on July 18 based on the experience from the earth-quake of this time aiming at further improvement and intensification of measures for prevention of disasters including response to the urban-type disaster, consideration of the weak in the disaster such as elderly and disabled persons, increase in the earthquake resistance of information and tele-communication networks, etc. Based on this, the Ministry of Transport, utilizing the experience from the earthquake disaster this time, is altering The Operational Plan for Disaster Prevention from the point of view of improvement of the traffic system which is strong in terms of both hardware and software, emergency disaster measures in the field of transport, prompt rehabilitation of traffic-related facilities, etc. Local governments have been engaged in revision of The Regional Plan for Disaster Prevention based on the experience this time For those revisions, it is important that those local governments establish a system with which to secure the prompt and certain transport of victims persons, persons engaged in services for the disaster, emergency goods, goods for rehabilitation and reconstruction, etc. through promoting sufficient mutual understanding with the central government. The Ministry of Transport will cooperate as much as possible in this regard.
It has been strongly recognized that it is important, in carrying out measures
against the disaster, to provide information such as the seismic center, seismic
intensities, possibility of aftershocks, prediction of tsunamis, etc. to people
and governmental offices concerned. JMA operates a the 24-hour system for observation
of earthquakes and announcement of forecasts and warnings of tsunamis and in
the case of a large-scale earthquake, emergency calls for staff will be made
to establish a system to provide accurate information promptly. Furthermore,
in cooperation with the mass media, the obtained information will be announced
immediately. The information will also be provided from meteorological offices
all over Japan to national and local organizations related to disaster prevention
with a system of simultaneous transmission of forecast and warning (Fig.
12). Based on the experience this time, the system for reporting has been
strengthened to enable provide the information of serious disasters such as
earthquakes with the seismic intensity of 5 or over and tsunami warnings directly
to the official residence of the Prime Minister and others (Fig.
13).
The Maritime Safety Agency has adopted a system in which, when the disaster
is caused by earthquake, tsunami, etc. patrol vessels/craft and aircraft are
immediately engaged, by instruction, to survey the situation of damages and
collection of information. Based on the experience this earthquake, the improvement
of this system has been made that, when an earthquake with the seismic intensity
of 5 or over occurs or a tsunami warning is issued, the collection of information
can be made automatically by patrol vessels/craft and aircraft.
In addition, from lesson of the disaster of this earthquake, proved to be
effective the delivery of information on damaged areas by means of TV pictures
for the purpose of grasping the situation of the damage precisely, and implementing
relief activities and measures for prevention of secondary disasters. For this
reason, in order to promptly provide the information on the situation of damage
in the stricken area and enable to take necessary measures, the Maritime Safety
Agency has decided to install, out of the first supplementary budget for fiscal
1995, a system to transmit those pictures taken from helicopters to the official
residence of the Prime Minister using a satellite (Fig.
14).
Furthermore, on the basis of the recognition from the disaster this time
of the importance of smooth understanding within the government and promotion
of systematic cooperation between disaster prevention systems which stretch
over various ministries and agencies of the government, key officers of the
Maritime Safety Agency and Meteorological Agency shall immediately gather at
the official residence of the Prime Minister together with key officers of other
ministries and agencies closely related to the earthquake disaster to work on
assessment of information for the cabinet to initiate its first measure.
(1) Building of patrol vessels, etc. which enables quick response
to damages
The Maritime Safety Agency adopts the 24-hour duty system in preparation
for occurrence of disaster and has disposed patrol vessels/ crafts and aircrafts
on a nation wide in order to respond promptly to emergency cases at any time.
On the assumption of the occurrence of large-scale earthquake such as the Tokai
Earthquake, the agency has been compiling a plan for specific emergency measures
such as emergency gathering of staff, establishment of headquarters for counter-disaster
measures, mobilization of vessels and aircrafts, etc.
As many wounded persons and persons who lost their house will appear in
any large-scale disaster, the Maritime Safety Agency will dispose a large-size
patrol vessels (the type corresponding to the disaster) (in fiscal 1997) which
is equipped with facilities for storing and supply of goods for relief of disaster
victims, providing medical services and lodging as well as the functions of
handling information to cope correctly with the disaster, and commanding functions
and functions of establishing headquarters for counter-disaster measures (Fig.
15). The Agency at the same time disposes 6 Iarge-size patrol crafts (in
fiscal 1995) which are equipped with enhanced capabilities for fire-fighting
and emergency resource transport, infrared rays and underwater search systems,
as well as a large-size patrol craft (in fiscal 1996) with the capabilities
for relief supplies transport and for survey of the disaster situation of damages
and 16 small-size patrol crafts (in fiscal 1995-96).
It has been also decided that 2 medium-size helicopters (in fiscal 1997)
with capabilities to transport wounded persons emergency relief supplies, one
medium-size airplane (in fiscal 1997) with supplier capabilities to transport
emergency relief supplies and 3 small-size helicopters (in fiscal 1995) with
superior maneuverabilities and capabilities for immediate survey.
In order to strengthen the system for survey for the prediction of 72 earthquake
and eruption of submarine volcano, a large-size surveying boat will be available
(in fiscal 1997).
(2) Security of emergency transport by helicopter When railways, port and
roads are damaged and the traffic means in the stricken area are paralyzed,
the use of helicopter as means to transporting emergency supplies such as medical
goods, foods, etc. is effective and its significance has been recognized again.
For this reason, the Ministry of Transport will extend its cooperation in giving
advice to local governments when they designate in advance places as candidates
for temporary heliports at the time of any disaster.
At the time of the occurrence of large-scale disaster, the interruption
of the flow of people or physical distribution due to the collapse of transport-related
facilities would exert immense effects not only on the relief and rehabilitation
activity but also on the people's living and industrial activity in the whole
country. For this reason, the Ministry of Transport has decided to scrutinize
problems regarding effects of the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake Disaster on
transport and situation of measures for the substitute transport of passengers
and cargoes and, on an assumption of occurrence of large-scale disasters in
the future, make examination of the means of utilizing existing trunk traffic
networks, method of connection of various modes of transport, such as bus and
railway transport, truck and marine transport, etc. from the point of view of
securing the diversity.
Especially, as the marine transport is effective as a substitute transport
when the land transport has lost its function, in order to strengthen the connection
of the land transport and marine transport, it is intended to make examinations
for the improvement in widespread common use of facility mooring and vehicle
ramps (which could be the central substitute transport for trucking).
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