Seoul City Deploys New 119 Rescue Dog 'Gugu' to the Field

Retired Rescue Dog 'Biho' Takes Over Position

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters announced on the 25th that they have deployed a new 119 rescue dog named ‘Gugu’ to the 119 Special Rescue Team and have begun full-scale operations.

According to the Fire & Disaster Headquarters, the new 119 rescue dog was introduced in December 2015 and has fulfilled missions at life rescue sites, filling the vacancy left by the senior 119 rescue dog ‘Biho,’ who retired last year.

‘Gugu’ (Labrador Retriever, born February 10, 2020), the new member of the 119 Special Rescue Team, has completed the specialized 119 rescue dog training course and obtained the national certified Level 1 qualification for complex missions (mountain + disaster).

Through the specialized training course conducted by the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters of the Fire Agency, Gugu acquired essential skills for life search at disaster sites, including mountain search practice and disaster collapse search practice. One handler (rescue team member) who will work with the new rescue dog also participated in the specialized training course and received affinity education.

A Fire & Disaster Headquarters official stated, “The new 119 rescue dog will be deployed to collapsed burial sites where rescuers cannot enter and to mountain accident sites during both day and night to perform life search missions.”

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan 119 Special Rescue Team operates a total of three 119 rescue dogs, including ‘Gugu,’ ‘Taeyang,’ and ‘Taeju.’

Over the past three years, 119 rescue dogs have been dispatched to 221 disaster sites, discovering and rescuing 64 people. Among these, mountain accident rescue dispatches accounted for 185 cases, representing 83.7% of all dispatches.

Major rescue activities include deployment to various large-scale disaster sites such as the collapsed building accident at Nakwon Arcade in Jongno-gu, the construction site collapse accident in Seongbuk-gu, and the collapse site at OO Industrial Complex in Yangju-si, contributing to life rescue efforts.

Choi Taeyoung, head of the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters, said, “So far, 119 rescue dogs have been deployed as members of the rescue team to various disaster sites, contributing to saving the lives of citizens in danger. We expect that ‘Gugu,’ the new member, will also play a significant role at disaster sites in the future.”