Emergency preparedness in Taiwan: the official guidance

Short answer. The Ministry of National Defense's All-out Defense Mobilization Agency publishes Taiwan's National Public Safety Guide, which asks each household to keep at least 7 days of supplies, including at least 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, plus a 1 to 3 day go-bag ¹². Taiwan counted more than 105,000 air-raid evacuation facilities at the end of 2021 ³. Facts on these pages were verified on 2026-10-20.

Who is responsible for civil preparedness in Taiwan?

The All-out Defense Mobilization Agency (國防部全民防衛動員署) of the Ministry of National Defense publishes the National Public Safety Guide ⁴. Three other national bodies share the work ⁴³⁵:

• the National Police Agency (內政部警政署) keeps the air-raid shelter registry and the 警政服務 (Police Services) app;
• the National Fire Agency (內政部消防署) runs disaster shelters and the 消防防災e點通 app;
• the Nuclear Safety Commission (核能安全委員會) handles nuclear emergencies and iodine tablets.

What is on each page?

• Emergency supplies — at least 7 days of home supplies per household, at least 3 litres of water per person per day, a go-bag for 1 to 3 days, checks every six months ¹².
• Kit — the guide's home supply list and go-bag list, line by line.
• Public shelters — 105,000+ air-raid evacuation facilities with capacity for about 86.65 million people (end of 2021), found by the 防空避難 sign, the Police Services app and the official map ³⁴.
• Alerts — siren patterns for air raids, nuclear accidents and tsunamis, the all-clear tones, and national-level phone alerts that cannot be switched off ⁶⁷.
• Iodine — potassium iodide pre-distributed to residents aged 40 or under in nuclear plant emergency planning zones; not on general sale; take it only on government order ⁸⁵.
• Build a shelter — articles 140 to 144 of the Building Technical Regulations, which require shelter space in many new buildings ⁹.
• Shelter standards — the design rules of article 144: reinforced concrete, two entrances, ventilation, emergency lighting ⁹.
• Emergency contacts — 110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, and the agencies to know ⁶.

What is Taiwan's National Public Safety Guide?

臺灣全民安全指引 (Taiwan's National Public Safety Guide) was published in 2025 by the All-out Defense Mobilization Agency ⁴. It covers supplies, air raids, military invasion, nuclear accidents, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, first aid, misinformation and mental preparedness ⁴. It is online at prepare.mnd.gov.tw and can be downloaded as a PDF in Traditional Chinese, English and Thai ¹⁰.

One line of the guide stands out: in wartime, any message saying the country has been defeated or that the government has surrendered is false information ⁴.

Where do I start?

Build the 7-day home supply and the go-bag first (kit), find the nearest place marked 防空避難 (public shelters), learn the siren patterns (alerts) and write down the numbers on paper (emergency contacts). For a household plan, see /guides/family-plan; for people who need extra help, see /guides/vulnerable-people.

Frequently asked questions

How long should households in Taiwan be prepared for?

At least 7 days of home supplies per household, plus a go-bag for at least 1 to 3 days per person ¹².

Is the Taiwanese preparedness guide available in English?

Yes. The National Public Safety Guide can be downloaded as a PDF in Traditional Chinese, English and Thai ¹⁰.

Which apps does the government recommend?

消防防災e點通 from the National Fire Agency (shelters, relief stations, real-time alerts) and 警政服務 from the National Police Agency (air-raid shelter locations, real-time alerts) ⁴.

Who should I call in an emergency in Taiwan?

110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance ⁶.

Sources

1. 國防部全民防衛動員署 — 準備日常居家儲備 - 臺灣全民安全指引 — https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/emergency-supplies/household-supplies (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. 國防部全民防衛動員署 — 準備緊急避難包 - 全民安全指引 — https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/emergency-supplies/go-bag (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. 內政部警政署統計室 — 警政服務App在手　防空避難跟我走 — https://www.npa.gov.tw/ch/app/data/view?module=wg054&id=2206&serno=4c4cffb7-bd19-425f-9282-c55578599d0a (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. 國防部全民防衛動員署 — 當危機來臨時 - 臺灣全民安全指引 — https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. 核能安全委員會 — 如何知道發生核子事故?含碘片使用說明 — https://www.nusc.gov.tw/%E7%B7%8A%E6%80%A5%E6%87%89%E8%AE%8A/%E6%88%91%E8%A9%B2%E6%80%8E%E9%BA%BC%E5%81%9A/%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E7%9F%A5%E9%81%93%E7%99%BC%E7%94%9F%E6%A0%B8%E5%AD%90%E4%BA%8B%E6%95%85%EF%BC%9F%E5%90%AB%E7%A2%98%E7%89%87%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%AA%AA%E6%98%8E--5_41_878.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. 國防部全民防衛動員署 — 災害應對 - 臺灣全民安全指引 — https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/emergency-responses (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. 國家災害防救科技中心 (NCDR) — 12月｜行政法人國家災害防救科技中心-2023防災特輯 (災防告警細胞廣播與物聯網) — https://www.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/NCDR-Topic/2023/Dec/index.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. 核能安全委員會 — 碘片儲存、發放、補發及銷毀作業要點 — https://erss.nusc.gov.tw/law/LawContent.aspx?id=GL000135 (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. 內政部 / 全國法規資料庫 — 建築技術規則建築設計施工編 (第140-144條，修正日期 民國115年02月23日) — https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0070115 (accessed 2026-10-20)
10. 國防部全民防衛動員署 — 下載手冊 PDF - 臺灣全民安全指引 (Taiwan's National Public Safety Guide PDF) — https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/download-pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)