This study collected the toxic chemical substances accident prevention and response mechanism and rules information from industrialized countries such as Japan, USA, Germany and other international organizations such as United Nations, European Union and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. After consulted with the experts and related industries, we propose the short and long term suggestions of toxic chemical accident prevention and response mechanism for Taiwan Government. We found that the toxic chemical accident prevention and response mechanism in Taiwan were similar to those industrialized countries in the work of prevention, preparation, response, and recovery. However, there were less manpower and experiences in the industries for chemical accident response in Taiwan. The major responsibilities for chemical accident response were on the government, especially in local fire department and Environmental Protection Administration. The self-rescue and emergency response capacities were week in most chemical industries in Taiwan compared with the industrialized countries. On the contrary, a chemical industry or their union in industrialized countries played major emergency response work, although the government owns fire department. In Japan and Germany there were chemical substances accident response team served by private organization and charge by different service levels basis. These played important role for chemical accident response in their country. The following are our suggestions. First, because a formal organization of emergency operation center (EOC )and the Mayor as the leader of EOC，that make New York City, Tokyo, and Taipei City easy to integrated manpower and all resources for emergency response. Second, since the household fire is different from that of chemical plant fire, the chemical accident firefighter need increase the number and special training and drill to protect themselves. Third, most of the chemical plants in Taiwan are small and medium enterprise (SME), besides of chemical firefighter in local fire department, Taiwan needs the similar MDPC in Japan and TUIS in Germany. They serve the SME and charge to keep operation.

Toxic and Chemical Substances, Disaster Prevention and Response, Emergency Response Operation