Central Fire Service Academy, Global Training for Ivorian Firefighters

'Large-Scale Disaster Emergency Rescue Capacity Enhancement' Course Until 2023

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Central Fire Service Academy announced on the 18th that it will conduct the first phase of training on "Enhancing Large-scale Disaster Emergency Response Capabilities" for 25 firefighters from C?te d'Ivoire in West Africa from the 25th to the 29th of this month.

This training, conducted in three phases until 2023, is part of KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)'s global training human resource development project, aiming to assist in establishing a large-scale disaster response system tailored to C?te d'Ivoire's local conditions. The first phase this year will be held online due to COVID-19 and will consist of video materials and real-time discussions covering topics such as the development process of firefighting in the Republic of Korea, and fire suppression tactics by type including buildings, hazardous materials, and vehicles.

The second phase of training next year aims to support the establishment of a domestic professional talent development system by inviting practitioners and policy officials in rescue and emergency medical services to Korea for tours of the Central Fire Service Academy's educational facilities, observation of training, and lectures on qualification standards and training systems for lifesaving and emergency medical technicians. The third phase in 2023 will focus on strengthening disaster site response and command systems by inviting instructor personnel and field commanders to Korea or conducting on-site visits.

Baek Deok-gon, head of the Central Fire Service Academy, said, "As the Republic of Korea has entered the ranks of advanced countries, it is meaningful for the firefighting sector to participate in fulfilling the international responsibility of supporting the development of developing countries," adding, "We expect this training to greatly contribute to enhancing friendly cooperation between the Republic of Korea and C?te d'Ivoire."

Meanwhile, since 2007, the Central Fire Service Academy has cooperated with KOICA to conduct global training projects annually. Up to this year, 204 overseas officials from 81 countries have received education across 14 courses covering lifesaving, emergency response, earthquakes, and other large-scale disaster responses.