Seoul Fire Department Prioritizes Golden Time... Training for Forced Disposal of Illegally Parked Vehicles

Emergency Response Drill for Illegal Parking Enforcement Conducted in Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu
Training Includes Breaking Through and Towing Illegally Parked Vehicles Using Fire Trucks and Scrapped Cars

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 13th that it conducted a forced removal training of illegally parked vehicles in the Seongnae-dong area of Gangdong-gu to secure fire truck passage and enable rapid firefighting activities.

The training, which involved seven vehicles including fire trucks and tow trucks and over 30 personnel, was organized to strengthen enforcement against illegally parked vehicles that obstruct fire dispatch and to promote securing fire truck passage.

The training was conducted in three stages, assuming a fire dispatch situation in an apartment complex. Each stage involved breaking through illegally parked vehicles using fire trucks, towing vehicles to secure passage, and breaking windows of vehicles illegally parked right next to fire hydrants to connect fire hoses.

According to Article 25 of the Fire Services Act, fire chiefs and others can remove or move parked or stopped vehicles and objects that obstruct fire truck passage and firefighting activities when urgently dispatched for firefighting.

Meanwhile, over the past three years (2019?2021), the number of illegal parking enforcement cases by Seoul fire agencies totaled 1,566, and there were 32 cases where general vehicles obstructed the priority passage of fire trucks. The Gangdong Fire Station enforced forced removal of vehicles obstructing fire dispatch in a residential area of Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu, in April last year. At that time, the fire truck on site prioritized rapid arrival despite the risk of collision with illegally parked vehicles.

Choi Tae-young, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “To protect citizens' lives, it is essential to arrive quickly at disaster sites within the golden time,” and urged, “We ask for the active cooperation of citizens to secure fire truck passage to protect the lives of your family and neighbors.”