Within 20 minutes after the quake, the Ministry of the Interior's National Fire Administration had established the "emergency management center," and Premier Vincent Siew soon thereafter held a news conference at which he ordered the military forces to take part in rescue efforts.
震災之後不到二十分鐘，內政部消防署便成立中央防救中心，行政院蕭萬長院長隨後並召開記者會，指示軍方加入救災，並呼籲國人保持鎮定，小心餘震帶來二次傷害。