Takatsuki City's Disaster Management Central Hub "Crisis Management Center" for Large-Scale Disasters Begins Operations Today

Takatsuki City today commenced operations of its Crisis Management Center, which will serve as a central hub for rapid disaster response decision-making and command during disasters, and as a base for effective disaster prevention education and training during normal times.\n\nTo prepare for potential large-scale disasters, Takatsuki City has been developing the Crisis Management Center since fiscal year 2024. During disasters, it will function as a central hub for comprehensively grasping damage information and response status, enabling swift decision-making and command for disaster countermeasures. In normal times, it will be utilized as a base for effective disaster prevention awareness and training, including disaster simulation experiences using VR footage.\n\nThe center is located on the 6th floor of the Takatsuki City General Center and began operations today, April 1, 2026 (Wednesday). Leveraging lessons learned from the Osaka Northern Earthquake that occurred on June 18, 2018, the center is designed with a simple structure, considering the practical needs of staff involved in disaster response. This allows for flexible adaptation by changing staff assignments and layouts according to the scale of the disaster and the passage of time. To ensure swift and smooth disaster response, the \"Disaster Response Headquarters Meeting Room,\" where the headquarters members, including the Director-General (Mayor of Takatsuki), make decisions on disaster response and various policies; the \"Disaster Response Department Room (Operation Room),\" which coordinates emergency response, information dissemination, and victim support based on decisions made in the headquarters meeting; the \"Liaison Room,\" for sharing information and coordinating with personnel dispatched from national government, Self-Defense Forces, Osaka Prefecture, etc., during a disaster; and the \"Call Center,\" which is used as an office during normal times and aggregates reports and inquiries from citizens during a disaster, are all permanently consolidated on one floor. Additionally, the center is equipped with the latest facilities, including a large LED vision system and a large video display and audio system to strengthen the functions of the Disaster Response Headquarters, enabling rapid disaster response and centralized understanding of various information collected during disaster response. It also features a satellite line (Starlink) as a backup for internet lines, which are indispensable for continuous information gathering and sharing during disasters, and uninterruptible power supplies and portable storage batteries for power outage measures.\n\nFurthermore, during normal times, the center plans to systematically hold disaster prevention training and workshops for citizens and citizen disaster prevention organizations. It will also implement more effective disaster prevention awareness activities, visually easy to understand, by utilizing VR (Virtual Reality) footage for disaster simulation experiences, as well as video content related to hazard maps.\n\nUpon the start of operations, Mayor Takeshi Hamada renewed his determination, stating, \"With the Crisis Management Center at its core, we will further strengthen the city's overall disaster prevention capabilities and continue to strive for the creation of a resilient city where all citizens can live safely and securely.\"