【Two Fire Service Bodies: Somusho Shobocho and Tokyo Shobocho】

We have two shobocho in Japan: Somusho Shobocho and Tokyo Shobocho. In English, the former is called “the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the latter “the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD).” These two are quite DIFFERENT. Specifically, Somusho Shobocho is a central government organization, while Tokyo Shobocho is part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
The origin of the FDMA dates back to 1948―the birth of the National Fire Defense Board. In 1952, the Board was renamed “the National Fire Defense Headquarters.” Then in 1960, the HQ was changed into the Fire Defense Agency. It is in this year that the Home Affairs Agency promotedly became the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the HQ was made an external organ of the Ministry―the Fire Defense Agency, that is. In 2001, the reorganization of central government offices made the Fire Defense Agency a MIC’s external body, and gave it a new designation “the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.”
In the meantime, the forerunner of the TFD got separated from the Metropolitan Police Department on March 7, 1948 and started as the Tokyo Fire Service Headquarters. On May 1, the HQ was renamed “the Tokyo Fire Department.”

【Multilingual 1-1-9 Telephone Service】

The TFD’s two centers take your 1-1-9 emergency call: the Command and Control Centers for the Tokyo 23 wards and for the Tama county area. You can reach them in English around the clock.
Moreover, the TFD started the multilingual 1-1-9 telephone service for an increasing number of foreign visitors and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. On receipt of a 1-1-9 call from a foreigner, the telephone interpretation service center stands between the TFD and the caller, providing simultaneous interpretation service.

• Multilingual Service
  Started on July 1 (Sat.) , 2017 / 9:00 a.m.－
• Languages (Interpreters available all the time for:)
  English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish
  Other languages can also be handled when the interpreters are available.
• Please be advised that the “1-1-9” is FOR EMERGENCY ONLY.

Thank you for your understanding.

【Disaster Preparedness Week/Day】

• Disaster Preparedness Week:
  August 30 (Wed.) ―September 5 (Tue.)
• Disaster Preparedness Day: September 1 (Fri.)

The Great Kanto Earthquake hit Japan on September 1, 1923, causing major damage to the Kanto Region. In 1960, the date September 1 was formally designated as the Disaster Preparedness Day. During the Disaster Preparedness Week including Sept. 1, life safety events are variously held on the national level.

Join in Disaster Preparedness Week events in your area!

【Emergency Medical Services Week/Day】

• Emergency Medical Services Week:
  September 3 (Sun.) ―September 9 (Sat.)
• Emergency Medical Services Day: September 9 (Sat.)

Two government departments, namely, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the FDMA, formally designated the date September 9 as the Emergency Medical Services Day. Likewise, the week including Sept. 9 (from Sunday to Saturday) was decided on as the Emergency Medical Services Week by the two organizations. The EMS Day and the EMS Week have been observed since 1982 in Japan with many EMS measures thought and carried out. The Day and the Week help people understand and think more about ambulance and medical services, boosting the morale of EMS professionals as well.
The TFD holds various EMS Day/Week events for your understanding of fire department ambulance service… JOIN US!