Tenrikyo Disaster Relief Hinokishin Corps (TDRHC) in Taiwan, which is the only formally organized overseas corps, conducted a leaders’ training camp at Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters in Taiwan on November 10-11.
TDRHC in Taiwan was provisionally organized immediately after a major earthquake hit Taiwan in 1999. The corps was dispatched to heavily damaged areas and engaged in rescue missions and restoration work on 12 occasions. Receiving official recognition by TDRHC headquarters, TDRHC in Taiwan was formally organized on March 10, 2001, when it held its inauguration ceremony at the mission headquarters. In recent years, Taiwan has been hit by a succession of natural disasters. In order to be ready to respond when an unexpected disaster strikes, leaders of the Taiwan corps have been considering ways to further enhance their training programs. This year’s program addressed lifesaving measures and, for the first time, a guest instructor, a fire fighter from Taipei Prefecture Fire Department, was invited to train the leaders.
On the 10th, the 19 leaders who participated in the program practiced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using dummies that had been brought by the instructor and received detailed instructions on how to administer artificial respiration and cardiac massage. In addition, they spent some time practicing ropework and knot tying and learned how to make a stretcher with rope.
Head Minister Taihei Shimizu of Chang Tai Church, who serves as an officer of TDRHC in Taiwan, said, “Since there is no way to know when and where a disaster will strike, I want to be prepared mentally at all times and keep acquiring more skills through these training programs.”