TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A fire that broke out on a 28-floor high-rise residential complex in Hsinchu on Sunday (May 26) not only took the lives of two firefighters but also exposed firefighting deficiencies such as access to upper floors of tall buildings.

Cities and counties across Taiwan are now evaluating the ability of their ladder trucks to access residents of high-rises in the event of fires. According to BCC, a few municipalities are even preparing budgets to purchase ultra-tall ladder trucks.

However, Hsinchu City Fire Bureau Commissioner Lee Shi-kung (李世恭) says taller ladder trucks need more space to operate, meaning that adjacent roads also need to be evaluated before such vehicles can be deployed. And even taller ladder trucks may not be able to access new high-rise apartments, which are getting taller.

Hsinchu City Councilor Tsai Hui-ting (蔡惠婷) said residents trapped in the high-rise fire relied on a crane borrowed from Chi Deh Crane Engineering (啟德重機) to carry out rescue work. Ladder trucks operated by the Hsinchu City Fire Bureau only have a maximum height of 52 meters and can only reach 15 floors up.

At the moment, there are a total of 48 buildings in Hsinchu that exceed 20 floors. Some believe Hsinchu must purchase ladder trucks that can reach a minimum of 20 floors to match the current height of residential buildings. 

Hsinchu County has the tallest ladder truck in Taiwan, which can reach 70 meters, or the 22nd floor of a building. However, given the fire in Hsinchu involved a 28-floor building, it could not be used.

Due to the difficulty of carrying out rescues in high-rise residences, stricter fire code regulations are needed. This includes additional fire-fighting equipment, fireproof doors, and sprinklers for extra protection.