Firefighters compete in grueling challenges for spot at World Games

Firefighters compete in grueling challenges for spot at World Games

2026-08-14

The National Fire Agency recently hosted the Taiwan Ultimate Firefighter International Invitational at its Nantou Training Center. The competition was divided into four stages, including tasks like ladder setup and transport, heavy object demolition to rescue victims, and stair climbing while carrying a heavy load. The dream of the more than 400 firefighters who competed was to represent Taiwan at next year’s World Police and Fire Games. This year’s invitational was also open to public participation, giving civilians a chance to experience firsthand the grueling work of firefighting.

While strapped into oxygen tanks, these competitors must quickly set up a ladder before sprinting to the top of a four-story stairway.

In this challenge, they must use a sledgehammer to break through heavy material before dragging a life-sized mannequin to simulate the race against time to rescue a victim from a burning building.

Competitor
Testing out skills
Explosive power is crucial, but as time goes on, if your cardio endurance isn’t up to the task, you’ll be gasping for air by the end and won’t be able to keep going.

The National Fire Agency recently held the Taiwan Ultimate Firefighter International Invitational at its Nantou Training Center. The results will help to determine who will represent Taiwan at the World Police and Fire Games in Australia next March.

Hsiao Huan-chang
National Fire Agency Director-General
The World Police and Fire Games are held every two years in different places around the world. I competed in the 2011 Games in New York. Afterward, I realized there’s something special about firefighting competitions. So ever since then, we’ve integrated this kind of challenge into the center as a part of training.

The general public was also invited to take part this year, letting people experience firsthand the harsh physical demands of firefighting.

Civilian competitor
Testing out skills
The hardest part was the four-story climb I just did, hauling that 20kg of fire hose up by myself.

Civilian competitor
Testing out skills
A friend of mine is a firefighter, so he convinced us to come out. We figured we’d challenge ourselves and sign up together.

The competition is divided into four parts: hose and ladder transport, heavy object demolition and victim rescue, and stair climbing. In the end, the event drew over 400 participants.

#firefighting #UltimateFirefighter #WorldPoliceandFireGames #Nantou #physicalchallenge #competition

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台灣極限消防員國際邀請賽消防員”負重爬梯"

2026-08-14

消防署日前，在南投訓練中心，舉辦台灣極限消防員國際邀請賽，比賽分四個階段，架梯器材運送、破壞重物救援傷患、負重趴梯等，超過四百位消防員同場較勁，爭取代表台灣參加明年世界警消運動會的資格，這場邀請賽今年也開放民眾參賽，體驗消防員多麼不容易。

背著氧氣瓶，快速架好梯子，再跑上將近四層樓高的梯架上。

拿起大錘破壞重物，還要拖著比擬真人體重的人偶，模擬在火場內，與死神賽跑。

[[參賽消防員]]
“爆發力很重要，但是久了之後，心肺如果沒有提升起來的話，到後面會很喘，也做不下去”

消防署在南投訓練中心，舉辦台灣極限消防員國際邀請賽，這場比賽成績也會列入名單，最終可以代表台灣參加明年3月在澳洲舉行的世界警消運動會。

[[消防署署長蕭煥章]]
“世界警察消防運動會，每兩年在世界各地舉辦，我2011年參加紐約的比賽，比賽後發現，消防員比賽相當特殊，從那時候我們把這個比賽，引進訓練中心當成訓練項目”

除了消防員，今年還開放民眾參與，來體驗消防工作的辛苦。

[[參賽民眾]]
“項目最累應該就是剛剛在第四個樓層，把20公斤水帶拉上來這個動作”

[[參賽民眾]]
“主要是朋友是消防員，所以他就推坑我們來參加，所以想說挑戰自己，一起來報名”

比賽分為四個階段，水帶、架梯器材運送、破壞重物救援傷患、負重趴梯，吸引超過400位消防員報名參賽。

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Taiwan deepens ties with allies through delicious food imports

Due to its delicate diplomatic situation, Taiwan is striving to maintain strong relations with the tiny group of countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties. Now, Taiwan’s latest move to deepen trade cooperation involves delicious cuisine. The government is encouraging more Taiwanese businesses to purchase agricultural, fishery and livestock products from these nations. Let’s find out more.

Paraguayan beef is cut into seared cubes, served with garlic chips and chimichurri. Belizean lobster is drizzled with miso sauce and topped with caviar and shiso blossoms—a multi-layered, exquisite delight that dazzles the palate.

In order to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taiwan’s trade council TAITRA have brought together Taiwanese importers, food and beverage brands and distributors to hold promotional events.

Cynthia Kiang
Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs
How can we strengthen government-to-government cooperation and drive further engagement for our related industries? For the first time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ International Trade Administration is cooperating with distributors.

Darío Filártiga Ruiz Díaz
Paraguay Ambassador
As we move toward the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, we have mutually strengthened our close ties in politics, economics, culture and cooperation.

Paraguay is Taiwan’s second-largest source of beef imports, with purchases reaching nearly NT$9.2 billion last year. Additionally, Taiwan imported NT$860 million worth of coffee from Guatemala. Belize is the only lobster-exporting country that enjoys zero tariffs with Taiwan, thus attracting the attention of seafood importers.

Yen Chih-ting
Taiwanese importer
They have a great advantage: they are duty-free. Imported white shrimp are subject to a 20% tariff. Therefore, under these premises, a long, long time ago we started developing white shrimp sourcing in our Central American allies, these duty-free nations.

H.E. Katherine Vanessa Meighan
Belize Ambassador
It not only builds an economic advantage or a trade benefit, but also speaks to a very healthy friendship. We love food. You love food. So what a great combination that is.

By creating connections through cuisine, Taiwan aims to strengthen bilateral trade with its formal allies in Central and South America, transforming trade into the most heartwarming form of support.

#Taiwandiplomacy #Taiwaneseallies #Taiwanimports #Taiwanesecuisine #Paraguayanbeef #Belizelobster

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2026-08-14

Drivers report nearly hitting rooster, deer, cow on roadways

When out on the roads, it’s important to pay attention! One driver in Kaohsiung found this out the hard way recently, when he almost ran into a chicken sunbathing in the middle of the road. It also gave the rooster quite a scare! Elsewhere in Changhua, another driver wasn’t so lucky. An entire herd of deer suddenly jumped into the street as he was driving, causing a crash.

A driver was riding along a street on Changhua’s Bagua Mountain when they saw … a deer? They stared blankly at each other, both surprised to see the other. The adult bounded away, but the fawns…

With a crash, they collided into a heap.

Liu Pao-tsun
Taifeng Borough warden
Someone was raising sambar deer down in the valley. They probably escaped and kept breeding. They mostly come out at night. About two or three months ago, someone else ran into a deer, too.

The local borough warden said deer are common around here, but it’s rare to see an entire family out together. They’re clearly afraid of people and panicked when they ran into the driver, causing a nasty spill.

It’s not just deer you have to look out for. In Kaohsiung’s Gushan鼓山 area, another driver had just taken a turn when he spotted a big white rooster sunbathing in the middle of the road. Turns out this particular bird is infamous in these parts.

Nearby resident
Knows about the rooster
It’s a consecrated temple rooster. It always wanders over to the auto repair shop next door. It loves human company. If we’re sitting here chatting, it’ll come and hang out nearby. Over there, there are mechanics, electricity, fans, and it’s much cooler, so of course it likes it over there.

Nearby resident
Knows about the rooster
Everyone around here knows about him and will swerve to avoid him. Some people are sweet enough to come by just to play with him.

This bird is a consecrated rooster belonging to the temple next door. For two years now, it often wanders over to the neighboring repair shop during the day to enjoy the AC and find company. He may love nuzzling up to people, but the street isn’t the best place to do it.

We’ve had a rooster, a deer … and now a cow? You’ve probably seen a cow ambling around before, but have you ever seen one sprint? A driver in Pingtung’s Yenpu was terrified that if this cow charged over, it wouldn’t end well. Suffice it to say, when taking to the roads, besides watching out for reckless drivers, you might also need to watch out for reckless animals!

#animals #driving #roadsafety #templerooster #deer #animalencounter #scooter

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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From above, Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao waves at parading deities below

The gates to the Underworld are open for the Ghost Month. In Hsinchu, one of the highlights is a street parade by local deities, which took place on Thursday. Hsinchu City Mayor Ann Kao watched the parade from the second floor balcony of City Hall, making sure to wave to the crowd below, which included revered temple deities. There was just one problem though: the city mayor, a mere mortal, committed a folk custom faux pas by looking down at the deities.

Ghost Month is here, and also underway is the annual Hsinchu Zhongyuan Festival. Taking place on Thurday afternoon was the removing of the cangue ceremony. The temple procession paraded around the city, but an unintentional blasphemous act took place when the participants and their deities passed by City Hall.

Standing on the 2nd floor balcony, waving to the crowd below, is Mayor Ann Kao, who has a bird’s eye view of the procession. And that’s the problem: Kao has likely committed a religious taboo.

Member of public
Feels Mayor Kao disrespected deities
I feel it’s incredibly inappropriate. If she wants to show respect to the City God, then she should be offering incense in the street below, which would be a more respectful way to treat the deities. Standing up there looking down like that, it’s basically like stepping on a deity’s palanquin; this is truly, incredibly impolite.

Voice of Lin Mao-hsien
Expert in folk customs
Normally, the way we do it is you’d come down, come down the stairs, and then you’d meet the deities with respect; at the very least you shouldn’t be standing higher than the deities, which is a basic form of respect.

Many went to Threads to criticize Kao, saying things like she was acting all high and mighty. Other comments said she was “super rude” and that everybody knows to not stand up on a pedestrian bridge when an important temple deity like Mazu passes by.

Yang Ling-yi
Hsinchu City councilor (DPP)
It’s clear as day, Mayor Kao sees herself as an emperor, like she came here to inspect the troops during a military parade. Doing what she did is rather inappropriate. Her aides, and she herself, should take some time to understand what praying during this ceremony means, and what’s the true message of this event.

Yang Chun-tzu
Hsinchu City Spokesperson
During a break between meetings, the city mayor just happened to hear the procession was passing by, so she went to the balcony to see how everything was going. Some everyday people saw the city mayor, so they waved towards her, and Mayor Kao responded in a friendly manner.

The Hsinchu City Government didn’t directly address whether Kao was actually standing at a higher vantage point than the deities and whether she had committed a taboo. Officials only expressed that Kao was just waving as a means of interacting with the general public.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Hsinchu #CityGod #GhostMonth #ZhongyuanFestival #taboo #don’tlookdown

2026-08-14

Crumbling drain cover swallows front wheel of car without warning

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‘Headless’ temple-goer filmed on sly could have medical condition

A lady in a pink dress was filmed by a stranger at a temple during Ghost Month, with the person joking that they had spotted a “headless” temple-goer. While the woman’s posture may have caught people’s attention, doctors say it could be linked to an underlying health condition. And as the footage spreads online, it’s worth remembering that what may seem strange or amusing to one person could be a very personal matter for someone else.

A lady in a pink dress going about her daily life was captured on video by a stranger, who flippantly joked that he was seeing a headless temple-goer.

Lin Yi-yun
FTV reporter
Some edgy worshippers at Xingtian Temple poked fun at the lady, saying that they were seeing a paranormal apparition in broad daylight.

Member of public
Commenting on video
At first I would be left wondering what happened to her head. But then you’d realize she’s just lowered it. Nothing’s scary about that.

Member of public
Commenting on video
There’s lots of people like that. It’s just poor posture.

Some level-headed passersby reasoned that many people naturally hunch over. It’s not an uncommon sight, after all. Of course there was nothing unearthly about the woman, who’s likely dealing with health problems.

Lin Yu-lian
Taiwan Adventist Hospital
Usually there are two possible causes: neuromuscular or musculoskeletal conditions. In most cases of neuromuscular problems, the cause is myasthenia gravis, which weakens the muscles in the neck and back so much that you can’t extend them. That would make the head droop forward. It could also be ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that causes bone deformities that make it difficult to lift the head.

A doctor says conditions such as spondylitis may require rehabilitation and medication. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary. As for the temple-goer in pink, though she may look unusual, it’s certainly no excuse to secretly film a stranger.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#headless #temple #xingtiantemple #taipei #taipeinews #incense #nearlyheadlessnick #ghost #ghostmonth

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Mom tries taking young swimmer to class during resilience drill

On August 13, Northern Taiwan held an urban resilience drill, which only lasted from 2:30 to 3:00 in the afternoon. Yet a parent trying to get her young swimmer to a test insisted on arriving at their destination. Police stopped the child and mother, who directed her anger first towards the authorities, then law-abiding onlookers, and finally, her own daughter.

- We can’t do this right now.
She’s going to be late.
I’m begging you. Please,
let us go over there.
I’ve already pleaded with you.

This parent is underneath the covered walkway with her daughter; the mom is irate because her young swimmer is about to be late for her swim class.

- She needs to take the test.
Okay?
- The exercise only goes to 3:00.
- Her test will be finished by 3:00.
- No it won’t.
She can’t go to class now
everybody knows it’s the Wan An Exercise.

The officer tried to reason with her, yet nothing could calm the mother, who kept screaming at the police to let them go. Shocked by the scene, onlookers tried to help diffuse the situation.

- Missing one class is no big deal.
- She needs to take the test;
if she can’t, then will you pay for her?
- Pay for what?
- The money for her swimming class.
- It was you who didn’t head out earlier.
So whose fault is that?

A pedestrian may have struck a nerve, as the mother then turned to her daughter and yelled at the child, who, out of fear, ended up crying.

-Why didn’t you head out earlier?
You wanted to nap.
Who said it was OK to nap?

On Aug. 13, from 2:30 to 3:00 in the afternoon, Northern Taiwan held the 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise, which included control measures for both traffic and pedestrians. Yet this parent wanted to take her child with her from Yongchun Market to her swimming class. The pair never made it to the pool, with police stopping them. Yet the mother insisted on going to their destination.

Member of public
Fan of following the law
It doesn’t matter what test you need to take, or what you want to do today; you still need to follow the country’s law.

Member of public
Feels bad for uniformed services
It’s not just about you individually, how you act as an individual. Even if you don’t want to take part in this exercise, acting like that probably makes life difficult for the people participating in the exercise, like the military and police. There’s no reason to act like that.

The local police station said that, in the end, the mother and daughter complied with the orders by taking shelter under the covered walkway, meaning they didn’t violate the Civil Defense Act, so they won’t be fined. But many were upset at the parent for wanting to break the law as well as confronting the authorities while a minor was at her side.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#testy #authorities #urbanresilience #wananexercise #madmommy #rageagainstthemachine

2026-08-14

Scammers pose as Changhua sanitation workers to fleece residents

A new kind of scam has just been unearthed in Changhua. Fraudsters impersonating the Changhua City Office sanitation team have been phoning Changhua residents and offering help with the removal of large furniture and other items. They then request payment via bank transfer. The office’s sanitation team has come out to clarify that only cash payments are involved, with payments made directly to the office or to the workers on-site. The office will never give you a bank account number and ask for a money transfer. Let’s find out more.

Cleaning crews use recycling trucks or garbage trucks to collect trash or large recyclables. If you have large furniture that needs removing, you can hire a cleaning crew for a fee. But is the public clear about the payment methods involved?

- There’s a fee now, did you know?
- Oh, I know, I know.
- So how do they collect the payments?
- How do we pay?
- I’m not sure.

Taking advantage of the fact that some people are unaware of the payment systems, a fraud ring has been impersonating Changhua’s sanitation team. They call up residents and provide them with a bank account number, asking them to pay for cleaning services. Some residents nearly fell victim to this scam.

Member of the public
Commenting on the fraudsters
It’s quite terrifying, because even something like this can end up being a scam. It involves in-person payments or payment to the cleaning crew directly. You’d think bank transfers are out of the question.

Member of the public
Commenting on the fraudsters
Because I don’t know whether the charge is supposed to be via bank transfer or cash. These days, a lot of places don’t use bank transfers like that—otherwise, it’s a scam. Do you really want to get scammed?

The sanitation team says if residents need large furniture removed, they can fill out an application form online, specifying the items to be removed. At the same time, the prices for the disposal items will also be displayed. The team says only cash payments are accepted, and there are absolutely no bank transfers involved.

Chang Hsiao-wei
Changhua City Office
When they call us to verify, we tell them that we still maintain two payment methods: paying at the sanitation office or paying on-site when the waste is removed. We also remind the public that we do not provide bank accounts for money transfers.

Fraudsters are everywhere. This time, they allegedly impersonated the sanitation team and gave people a fake bank account to remit hauling fees in an attempt to defraud them. Residents need to be extra cautious, carefully verify information, and avoid becoming easy prey for scammers.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Taiwanfraud #fraudrings #fraudsters #Changhua #Changhuafraud

2026-08-14