FCU Department of Water Resources Engineering Enhances Community Disaster Resilience Through Innovative Training and Field Exercises

To strengthen local governments’ disaster response and shelter management capabilities, the Tanzi District Office of Taichung City organized its 2026 Disaster Coordination Center Training and Annual Shelter Relief Station Exercise on May 12. The program invited Po-Tsang Chen, Associate Professor of the Department of Water Resources Engineering and Conservation at Feng Chia University, to serve as instructor. Moving beyond traditional lecture-based training, the course incorporated immersive teaching tools and hands-on exercises to enhance the practical skills of frontline disaster management personnel.

The training covered key topics including shelter operations, resource management, vulnerable population care, and interagency coordination. Three innovative learning components were introduced. First, participants used a disaster-preparedness tabletop game originally licensed from Japan and localized for Taiwan by Professor Chen, allowing trainees to engage in high-pressure disaster simulations and strengthen decision-making skills. Second, the program utilized a “Shelter Setup Kit,” together with portable cardboard beds, temporary partitions, and other disaster-response equipment, transforming emergency procedures into tangible actions that participants could discuss, practice, and refine. Finally, trainees moved from tabletop planning to real-world spatial exercises, physically laying out shelter areas, care zones, and traffic flows to better understand operational challenges in actual disaster scenarios.

Through the use of the SOP-based shelter operation tabletop game, shelter setup kits, disaster-response equipment, and on-site spatial planning exercises, participants gained a practical understanding of the management challenges involved in operating emergency shelters.

Professor Po-Tsang Chen from the Department of Water Resources Engineering and Conservation at Feng Chia University served as the instructor for the 2026 Disaster Coordination Center Training and Annual Shelter Relief Station Exercise organized by the Tanzi District Office of Taichung City.

Professor Po-Tsang Chen emphasized that shelter management training is not simply about memorizing procedures. More importantly, it helps frontline personnel make sound decisions when facing uncertainty, limited resources, and rapidly changing disaster conditions. The SOP-based shelter operation tabletop game serves as a disaster simulation tool, while the shelter setup kit and related equipment help translate planning decisions into actionable field operations. Conducting spatial layout exercises further enables participants to identify practical limitations that may arise during shelter operations.

The Tanzi District Office noted that effective disaster management relies not only on emergency response after disasters occur, but also on ongoing education, resource preparedness, and cross-sector collaboration. Going forward, the district will continue partnering with academic institutions and professional organizations to strengthen community disaster education and emergency preparedness, thereby improving overall community resilience.

In addition, FCU’s Department of Water Resources Engineering and Conservation has long been engaged in disaster-prevention technology, disaster governance, and disaster education. The department integrates research outcomes, educational materials, patent development, and community outreach into its teaching and service activities. Related disaster-prevention patents, training tools, and equipment are promoted through New Direction Safety Technology Co., Ltd., an FCU-affiliated startup company, demonstrating the successful translation of university research into practical community applications and industry-academia collaboration.