Gyeonggi Fire Department Conducts Emergency Fire Inspection of 109 'Clinic-Level Hemodialysis Medical Facilities' in the Province

Investigation of Illegal Acts Such as Emergency Exit Closure and Actual Conditions of Evacuation Routes

Fire at Icheon Hospital Building
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] In relation to the recent fire accident at a hospital building in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which resulted in five deaths, the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters will conduct an urgent full inspection of 109 clinic-level hemodialysis medical facilities in the Gyeonggi area throughout August.

According to the Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 10th, there are a total of 248 hemodialysis medical facilities in the Gyeonggi area, of which 109 are clinic-level. Among these, 60 facilities are located on the 4th floor or higher, accounting for 55% of the total.

The Special Fire Safety Inspection Team will crack down on violations such as emergency exit closures, blocking of fire-fighting facilities, and mandatory safety manager duties, and will conduct on-site investigations to verify evacuation conditions including capacity, evacuation floors, and evacuation routes.

Additionally, for hemodialysis medical facilities, on-site guidance activities will be promoted to inform about initial fire response methods such as preparing evacuation plans, evacuation methods considering patient characteristics, and utilization of evacuation equipment.

To improve initial response capabilities, evacuation drills centered on clinic personnel will be conducted at least once, and plans will be made to check entry windows and rescue methods for trapped persons inside the building using aerial and articulating boom trucks.

In September, among 2,632 facilities for vulnerable evacuees such as the elderly, disabled, and mentally ill, high-risk evacuation targets will be selected to conduct safety inspections of facilities used by vulnerable evacuees.

Nam Hwa-young, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "Through the recent Icheon fire case, it has been identified that establishing evacuation safety measures for facilities used by vulnerable evacuees such as patients is urgent," and added, "We will promote customized evacuation safety measures considering patient characteristics and hospital building floors to prevent fire damage in facilities used by vulnerable evacuees."