A night at the "evacuation shelter"

"An earthquake has just hit Kyoto. Houses have been destroyed and the public transport network has been disrupted. You have been evacuated to the Kyoto International Community House which is one of the evacuation shelters in Kyoto..."

 

That was the scenario of the Overnight Evacuation Shelter Training Programme conducted by the Kyoto City International Foundation (KCIF) from 13 to 14 Oct 2012. My neighbour and I had signed up for this programme so as to better understand how to respond in the event of an earthquake.  On 13 Oct 2012 at 4pm, we gathered at the Kyoto International Community House with the essential items that we would need for our stay at the "evacuation shelter". 

 

The "evacuees" gathered at the Kyoto International Community House.

The programme started with the division of participants into three groups according to the language spoken. The Japanese participants formed a group, the Chinese participants formed another group, while the English-speaking participants formed the third group.  The programme was conducted in Japanese but the Chinese group and the English-speaking group each had an attached interpreter who would interpret for us the information conveyed by the programme organisers and trainers.

Participants of the training program were given some hands-on practice.

 

After the group division, the training which was conducted by the Fire Department began.  There were three components of the training, namely how to protect yourself during an earthquake, how to perform a heart massage  and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and how to use a fire extinguisher.  The first aid-related training and the fire extinguisher training were useful and similar to what I had learnt before in Singapore.

 

The earthquake simulation truck was of particular interest to me as it allowed participants to experience the various magnitudes of an earthquake.  I went on the truck with 3 other participants, one of whom was one elderly ojiisan, and we got to experience magnitudes 1 to 5. After that, the Fire Department officers requested the elderly ojiisan to alight from the truck while the rest of us stayed on the truck to experience magnitude 7. It was pretty horrifying and we had to quickly dive under the table and held on to the legs of the table so that we would not be flung off the truck. At the end of the "quake", I felt like my bones were given a hell of a shake and I really hope I won't ever have to go through a real earthquake of that magnitude in my life.



 

Queuing up for dinner.

After the training, we gathered for dinner at around 6.30pm.  The dinner was provided by KCIF and everyone queued in an orderly manner for the food. We were each given a pack of alpha rice (i.e. cooked instant rice), an onigiri and a bottle of tea. 

 

I asked one of the facilitators if we would indeed be eating the same food in a real emergency and was told that it was not so.  In fact, evacuees shouldn't expect food and help to be available for at least three days because the government would need time to respond and send aid.  He also shared with me that in an evacuation shelter, even if food was provided, there probably would not be enough to go around. Instead of one onigiri for each person, we could expect five persons to share one onigiri. The learning point therefore was to prepare for yourself at least three days worth of food and water as well as any other basic necessities needed in the event of a major emergency such as an earthquake.

Left: Close up of the alpha rice which I ate.
Right: Bottled water handed out by KCIF. The water could be stored for five years.
Good to buy some alpha rice and bottled water to store at home in case of an emergency.

After the dinner, we were divided into small groups to play a game called "Crossroads".  It was a very interesting game which gave me food for thought. We were first given scenarios to which we had to answer "Yes" or "No". We then had to explain our answers to the group.  There was no right or wrong answer but just a game to understand the reasons behind the many decisions that would have to be made in a major disaster.  Below were some of the scenarios which we went through. What would your answers be?

• The government has issued an advisory at 1am to evacuate from your house due to the dangers of a flood. There is a storm outside. You are living with your family which comprises your spouse, your aged mother and two very young children. Will you evacuate immediately?
 
• You have to evacuate immediately to an evacuation shelter. You have a pet dog with you. Will you bring the dog along?

Playing the game called "Crossroads". 

 

After the game, it was time for bed at 10pm. Each participant was given a sleeping bag as a present which could be used that night but I brought my own though. It was not possible to sleep well in those circumstances and I found myself staring at the ceiling till 6am. While the whole experience was simulated, I now understand how terrible it must have been for those living in an evacuation shelter for extended periods of time after the Tohoku disaster.

 

Debriefing exercise where some of our concerns and queries were raised and addressed.

 On 14 Oct, we had to wake up at 6am and joined everyone for the morning exercise which the Japanese called "Rajio taisou" (radio exercise in English).  There were simple exercise instructions issued from a radio and everyone just followed accordingly. After that, we had breakfast (two onigiri each and tea). 

 

The activity after breakfast was a debriefing exercise in which we got into our groups and shared our concerns and queries from the training programme.  Each group then had to present the points discussed to everyone.  After that, an government official who was present addressed all the points.  It was a very informative session. I really appreciated the efforts put in by the KCIF to ensure that we leave the programme with as much learning points as possible.

 

I raised many questions during the debriefing session and my facilitator had an interesting answer for me. He said that in a disaster, many people would be asking many questions and seeking help and support. There would be very few people who would be able to provide the answers and solutions. Hence, instead of only asking the questions, we should try to see how we could provide the support needed.  It was a simple comment but it made me realise how important it would be to offer a helping hand in times of emergency.

 

I learnt that Kyoto prepares itself for two disaster scenarios namely, that of an earthquake and that of a flood. The evacuation shelters for an earthquake and a flood are different and there is a map of these shelters available at the ward office. In times of a disaster, we should head to the community assembly area first where we would be advised accordingly on the next steps. Basically, you only go to an evacuation shelter if your residence is destroyed. We will be able to obtain information about the community assembly area for disasters from the ward office too.  The organisers also emphasised many times the importance of getting to know your neighbours if you are an international resident new to Japan. In times of emergencies, you may need your neighbours' help.

 

KCIF organises many informative sessions such as this for international residents so it is good to check its website for such activities and training programmes - http://www.kcif.or.jp/. 

 

 

Participating in a disaster drill

In mid-August, I received an invitation from the Kyoto City International Foundation (KCIF) to participate in the "Kyoto City Comprehensive Disaster Drill" held on 1 Sep.

 

Although Kyoto is pretty safe from earthquakes and other natural disasters, it is always good to be prepared and gain more knowledge in the area of disaster preparedness. So without hesitation, I replied to confirm my participation.

 



Left: Fire Department officers handing out emergency handbooks and programme to participants.
Right: Volunteers at the registration desk assisting participants with registration.

The drill was held on 1 Sep for a reason.  It was on 1 Sep 1923 when Japan suffered the Great Kanto Earthquake.  It was then the most powerful earthquake in Japanese history until the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 broke that record. In conjunction with the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake and to remind citizens of the importance of disaster preparedness, nationwide disaster drills are conducted in Japan on 1 Sep every year. 

The location for the disaster drill was a huge open space in a park. Upon arrival, participants were given an emergency handbook and the programme of the event (both only in Japanese) by the Fire Department staff. We were then led to a registration desk where we registered our attendance and received our transport reimbursement. I thought it was very considerate of the organisers to reimburse participants for the transport. 

Participants watching disaster simulation drills.

After registration, we were invited to sit under the tentage to watch the various types of simulation drill involving the emergency responders and the local community emergency response teams.  We were also free to tour the public education booths set up in the area.

As I was hoping to be involved in an actual drill so as to learn more about how to respond in a real emergency, I asked one of the staff if there was any activity international residents could participate in.  "Yes, we do need participants for the bucket relay," said the staff.



Bucket relay

Together with a new friend from Indonesia, we volunteered to join in the bucket relay.  The bucket relay is a method to transport water in buckets from a water source to the location of a fire incident.  During the relay, all the participants stood in two rows facing one another. A few participants would fill the buckets at one end and the half-filled buckets were first passed along by participants in one of the rows, all the way to the "incident area". The empty buckets were then passed along by participants in the other row, back to the water point.  The bucket relay drill seemed to be part and parcel of a disaster drill in Japan. A chapter in the emergency handbook was dedicated to explaining the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for bucket relay.


A student volunteer from the Fire Department.

After the relay, we were brought on a tour of the exhibition booths by volunteer guides. Our guide was an ojiisan who spoke in fluent English.   There were also many student volunteers recruited by the Fire Department who were ready to answer our queries.  I learnt from them that the Fire Department conducted student volunteer recruitment once a year and the volunteers had to undergo a couple of basic training programmes. There was no specific criteria; you just had to have the desire to volunteer.

 

Mobile toilets set up by the residents.

As we toured the booths, I saw, along the way, resident groups working together to set up mobile toilets for use during a disaster. Some groups were moving huge boxes of items simulating logistical transportation during an emergency.  I gathered from our guide that a drill of such  a massive scale involving various local organisations and community groups happened only once a year.  I supposed the locals would be busy exercising their SOPs and  that was why it would be difficult to involve international residents who were there for the first time.

 



A booth displaying the type of food and protection items to prepare and keep
at home in case of an emergency.

From the exhibition booths, I learnt that the Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Centre provides alot more disaster prevention information and training programmes.  I was also informed about an overnight Evacuation Shelter Training Programme in the pipeline. I have signed up for that and am looking forward to receive some practical training on what to do in the event of an earthquake.  You never know when such knowledge would come in handy one day, where ever you may be.