Maintenance of Public Security-Mountain Access Control and Permit

The purpose of keeping mountains areas under control is to secure safety in the military installations and security in the mountain area. Districts in mountain areas are outlined and announced by the Ministry of National Defense with Ministry of the Interior as well as all mountain district offices. Access to the controlled mountain areas come in regularly controlled mountain areas and specifically controlled mountain areas.

1. Regularly controlled mountain areas: Areas under regular control for security in mountain areas.

2. Specifically controlled mountain areas: Areas available for tourism, visit and other entertaining activities of the population.

In pursuance of National Security Code bylaws and Regulations on Access to Taiwan Mountain Areas, the police take care of applications for access to mountain areas by reviewing documents and attached data. Checkpoints are available at all access roads and checks are conducted on all people, vehicle and material for banned materials. Intelligence gathering and mobile investigations as well as patrols are conducted on illegal activities as well. Governed by relevant regulations, access control is being implemented accordingly.

Application for access to mountain areas:

(1) Online application: [National Police Administration, Ministry of the Interior global website]

1. Time to apply: The application shall be filed with 7~30 days before date of access (excluding holidays and weekends) for addenda, if any.

2. Issuance of permit: The access permit is issued after receipt of the application and at this time, no online permit is issued for online applications. All permits are issued in person or by mail.

(2) Personal application: Not later than the last day before access and by presenting all required documents while paying the handling charge to the permit issuer. This is processed on first-arrive-first-service basis.

(3) Postal application: This is conducted by registered mail of the documents required, handling charge and a paid envelope to the permit issuer within 5 to 30 days before access (excluding holidays and weekends). Doing so will allow the applicant receive the access permit before the trip begins.

(4) Beginning 2002, the Jade Mountain, Taroko and Shueba Police of this office are working with the local National Parks Administration for the 2-in-1 permit for access to mountains and national parks. This new system makes the application much easier.

The access control measures are to maintain security in mountain areas while preserving the natural resources in the forest on one hand, on the other, it is to keep the police updated of conditions of all mountaineers assuring happy trip and safe return.

Blood Oxygen test

1. Statistical reports on mountain accidents in Taiwan suggest that mountain sickness was almost unknown as cause to mountain accidents back in the 70s and few were reported in the 80s. In the 90s, cases built up. To make the population aware of this new trend and assure they are ready for such incidents, the National Parks Police Corps introduced 5 units of blood oxygen testers and they are available in the mountain police out service teams (in Shueba Police Team, Guangwu Police Team, Jade Mountain Police Tatajia Team, Nanan Team and Taroko Police Hehuan Team), where mountaineers are tested of they blood oxygen, a value that would help determine physical conditions.

2. Spots and manners for blood oxygen test are determined by this office depending on jurisdictions of the police forces and actual needs and as the blood oxygen saturated value given by the tester goes at under 85% digits (an average adult would have the value at 85~100% digits). Clinical tests indicate that when one develops lower blood oxygen, he (she) would be vulnerable to mountain sickness or other sufferings and in this case, the police would encourage him (her) not to go up the mountain for the sake of safety.

3. As of May 2005, this office has offer blood oxygen tests as follows:

service rendered

• Service rendered by Ministry of the Interior National Police Administration National Parks Police Corps:
• We take care of your reports to the police.
• We offer travel information and service.
• We help you apply for entrance to the ecological protection areas.
• We offer road guide and road conditions
• We offer parking and facilities for the handicapped
• We offer bathrooms and drinking water
• We have reception rooms and facilities for the handicapped with journals, pay phones, water and seats.
• Personnel on duty for illiterate and the handicapped as well as the old
• We welcome your comments
• We offer blood oxygen tests for reference to mountaineers
• Lost and found
• Traffic control