An earthquake and fire safety drill was held on October 31. (Wed.) Under the pretense of the occurrence of a large earthquake occurring at NAIST, the emergency earthquake alarm was sounded at 13:15 and the NAIST fire brigade went into action. This year's drill was held for the Biological Science Division and consisted practice using a fire hose and fire extinguisher, safety checks for fires and building safety, and confirmation and rescuing of people.

For the fire hose and fire extinguishers, students and faculty were invited to experience using both so that they may be prepared in case of an actual emergency. Under the guidance of the Ikoma Fire Department and with translation assistance from the Division for Global Education, both Japanese and international students learned firsthand how to put out fires.

In response to the growing international student and staff population, NAIST has stressed participation in these drills for all those present to help ensure that, in the event of an emergency or disaster, everyone will be able to respond properly. Every year many international students volunteer to put out the 'fire' boards and gain this valuable experience.

This drill ended with greetings from the fire department and President Yokoya, in which the importance of being prepared for emergencies and disasters through periodic review and practice was stressed.