President Tsai Ing-wen announced a pay raise for members of National Airborne Service Corps under the Ministry of the Interior July 10 in central Taiwan’s Taichung City, spotlighting the government’s commitment to fostering the recruitment and retention of aviation talents while strengthening the country’s disaster relief capabilities.
Pilots of the corps will receive a NT$40,000 (US$1,357) monthly bonus, while maintenance staff will see their hourly wages increased from between NT$500 and NT$750 to NT$1000, and crew members from between NT$400 and NT$600 to NT$750, retroactive to July 1.
Tsai made the announcement during a visit to the Taichung base of the NASC, an agency responsible for disaster relief, emergency medical assistance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue missions.
The president expressed her appreciation of NASC staff for braving difficult weather conditions and rough terrain in the course of their work. As such valuable assets to Taiwan society, they deserve remuneration and benefits commensurate with the high risk of the job, she added.
According to Tsai, the NASC has rescued 7,100 people since its establishment in 2004. The corps’ contribution to fighting wildfires, including 16 this year to date, has significantly reduced damage and helped support Taiwan’s forest conservation efforts, she said.
New NASC bases in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City and eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County are approaching completion, Tsai said, adding that the government’s plan to construct additional bases in Taipei City’s Songshan District and eastern Taiwan’s Taitung County will likewise strengthen the countrywide disaster relief network and ensure helicopters can reach emergency locations within 30 minutes.
The NASC is currently equipped with a Beech-200 passenger airplane, eight UH-60M Black Hawk and nine AS-365 Dauphin helicopters. An additional six Black Hawks are expected to join the corps’ ranks in October. (YCH-E)
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