Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters Begins Emergency Duty for 'Wuhan Pneumonia' from the 28th

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters has activated an emergency response team starting from the 28th in relation to the novel coronavirus. They have also established a permanent dispatch system for negative pressure ambulances and decided to significantly strengthen disinfection measures to prevent secondary infections during the transport of suspected patients.

On the 28th, the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters held a video conference in the 6th-floor meeting room of the Fire Headquarters located in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, with heads of 35 fire stations across the province participating. The meeting discussed ▲ a briefing on the current status of the novel coronavirus infection ▲ plans for operating emergency response teams at the headquarters and fire stations ▲ plans for operating dedicated ambulances for 24-hour response to suspected cases ▲ and plans for transporting suspected patients to nationally designated hospitals.

Starting from that day, the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters began operating an emergency response team composed of one team leader and two team members in a small meeting room on the 3rd floor of the headquarters, and each fire station also formed an emergency response team (one team leader, one team member) and started emergency duty.

Additionally, a permanent dispatch system for three negative pressure ambulances has been established, and if transport via ambulances from the primary jurisdiction health center is not possible, a dedicated 119 ambulance will be dispatched to support. Each fire station will operate one dedicated ambulance for this purpose.

Furthermore, firefighters must wear LEVEL D infection protective suits (including protective clothing, goggles, shoe covers, gloves, and masks?five items) to ensure personal safety during field activities. After transporting patients, the interior of the ambulance and medical equipment will be disinfected and sterilized using disinfectants to maintain infection prevention inside the ambulance.

A representative from the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters emphasized, "We will take the 2015 MERS outbreak as a lesson and cooperate with related organizations such as city and county health centers to do our best for the safety of the residents."