Fire Agency to Conduct 'Integrated Response Drill' Tomorrow for Earthquake Preparedness... Strengthening Earthquake Response Capabilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Central 119 Rescue Headquarters of the National Fire Agency announced on the 13th that it will conduct an integrated response drill for earthquake response capability enhancement at the Yeongnam 119 Special Rescue Team located in Dalseong-gun, Daegu Metropolitan City on the 14th.

In November 2017, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, resulting in 1 death and 117 injuries. Earlier, in September 2016, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, causing injuries to 23 people. Earthquake damage has occurred, and recently, earthquakes below magnitude 3 have been continuously occurring in the Yeongnam region including Pohang, Ulsan, and Miryang.

Accordingly, the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters' Yeongnam 119 Special Rescue Team will conduct an integrated response drill jointly with the special rescue teams of the five city and provincial fire headquarters in the Yeongnam region to strengthen earthquake response capabilities.

This drill assumes three disaster situations caused by earthquakes: collapse, flooding, and falls. Messages are assigned, and the central (Yeongnam) and city/provincial (Busan, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Changwon) special rescue teams form joint teams to respond.

The drill involves 61 personnel from the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters and city/provincial fire special rescue teams, and 11 vehicles will be mobilized. As a scenario-free drill, the goal is for special rescue team members to choose the safest and fastest rescue methods in the given situations and to strengthen cohesion among team members.

The Central 119 Rescue Headquarters expects that through this drill, it will be able to respond more effectively to complex situations during earthquakes and quickly rescue affected citizens.

Choi Byung-il, head of the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters of the National Fire Agency, said, "Through this drill, we will analyze and supplement issues in earthquake response and continue to conduct joint drills in the Yeongnam region to strengthen disaster response capabilities."