Deployment of Firefighters, Ensuring Adequate Rest Time and Rest Areas During Emergency Duty... Need to Improve Cash Payment for Meals as Some Receive a Single Gimbap Roll 8 Hours After Dispatch
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] A single photo of firefighters unable to properly eat during fire scene dispatch is deeply moving.
It is a photo of a firefighter eating raw instant noodles.
Perhaps because of this, on the 14th of last month, an anonymous post titled "Are we even human?" was uploaded on the Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters website bulletin board. The post expressed that "the treatment of firefighters working on the scene is insufficient."
Many firefighters commented on this post. One commenter expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "We arrived at the scene at 2 p.m. and started activities, but water and kimbap were only provided around 10 p.m."
Another comment stated, "It was a day when I felt the limits of my stamina without being able to rest properly," revealing that rest and breaks were not adequately provided on site.
Workers are legally guaranteed a 30-minute break for every 4 hours of work. However, firefighters mobilized for emergency duty complain that they rest only when they are exhausted without designated break times, and without proper resting spaces, they have to squat on the roadside to rest. Although there are six recovery support vehicles nationwide, firefighters deployed on site say they have never seen them.
The same applies to meals. While regulations allow for cooking or catered meals, or cash payments depending on local conditions, due to urgent situations such as fires and other disasters, proper meal provision is impossible. It is necessary to improve the system by providing cash so firefighters can order delivery meals at on-site restaurants to ensure basic meals are properly provided.
In Gyeongbuk alone, multiple mobilization orders have been issued this year due to large wildfires and typhoons, but the basic treatment of deployed firefighters has been very poor. As various disasters such as fires become larger, the time spent responding increases. However, support for firefighters deployed on site in terms of break times, resting spaces, and meals during emergency duty and mobilization is not properly guaranteed.
The Gyeongbuk branch of the Firefighters' Union reported that on the 16th of last month, they requested a meeting with the head of the Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters to resolve issues such as insufficient provision of meals, drinking water, snacks, lack of resting spaces, and unguaranteed break times during support for typhoon-affected areas, but the request was rejected.
Kim Tae-won, chairman of the Gyeongbuk branch of the Firefighters' Union, said, "Many people think that treatment has greatly improved since firefighting became a national position. However, since budgets and personnel are still controlled by local governments, treatment improvement remains a distant issue. Firefighters who work hard at disaster sites with strong dedication should at least be provided with basic food and rest."
The opinion that the "hero" firefighters who fight flames to save precious lives should have proper conditions to eat and rest is gaining persuasive support.
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