Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency plans to equip disaster response teams with small rescue vehicles that can operate on rough roads starting in fiscal 2025, officials said.
The decision to have the National Fire Service Team for Disaster Response deploy small vehicles follows the difficulty large vehicles faced accessing sites affected by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, which hindered rescue and relief efforts. Disaster response teams carried out firefighting, rescue and other operations for nearly two months after the event.
Based on the experience, the agency plans to provide disaster response teams with smaller rescue vehicles capable of carrying personnel and equipment over rough and narrow roads.
It is also considering introducing vehicles that have only the bare minimum needed for initial rescue efforts. This would allow them to be airlifted by Self-Defense Force helicopters, even if roads are cut off.
The current vehicles used as hubs for rescue personnel, which include meeting rooms and showers, can be up to 12 meters long. To improve logistical support, the agency plans to create and deploy smaller versions of these vehicles.
Additionally, the agency plans to use remotely controlled robots to fight fires based on lessons learned from the large-scale blazes that occurred in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, after the Noto earthquake. The technology would allow firefighting to operate safely even during tsunami warnings.