Report from Formosa

Disaster Relief and Community
Emergency Training Program


[Taipei] On May 19 and 20, 2001, approximately 85 Formosan initiates, including contact persons and team workers, participated in a basic and intermediate program in Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and Community Emergency Resources Training (CERT), at the National Taiwan University medical school.

Of the participants in the program, many were medical professionals, while others came from all walks of life, but more than half were fellow initiates. Everyone took part in the program in a spirit of compassion and cooperation, expecting to offer their services in times of need. The excellent team of instructors included doctors, nurses, and scholars and experts from related fields, who specialize in specific areas of expertise, are experienced in practice, and were willing to contribute their time and abilities to training the participants.

The two-day basic program was rich in content, with the instructors maintaining a great sense of humor, and team practice keeping the participants in high spirits. Initiates took the initiative to raise questions and master the various skills taught. In the intermediate program, a psychological reconstruction session for those suffering from stress syndromes and a disaster simulation were presented, with an emphasis on practicing techniques in real-life situations.

What a Coincidence--SUMA!

The first day of the basic program included a lesson in Supply Management Systems, abbreviated "SUMA", which caused laughter among the initiates. The instructor did not understand the reason for their laughter but guessed that this was the name of a well-known person! The lesson proceeded smoothly with Master's omnipresent love blessing each initiate.