Jeonbuk Gunsan Fire Station Chemical 119 Rescue Team Officially Begins Operations

The Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters (Chief Ju Nak-dong) announced on the 3rd that the Gunsan Fire Station Harbor 119 Safety Center and the Chemical 119 Rescue Team have relocated their offices to Soryong-dong, Gunsan City, and commenced operations.

With the establishment of the Chemical 119 Rescue Team, it is expected that not only Gunsan but also the entire province will be able to secure the safety of residents through rapid and efficient life rescue using specialized personnel and special equipment in the event of chemical accidents.

In the national industrial complex near the Saemangeum development industrial complex, 51 fires (damage of 4.6 billion KRW, 6 injuries) occurred over the past three years (2020?2022). Since 34.8% of hazardous chemical handling companies in the province are concentrated in Gunsan, the establishment of the chemical rescue team is more urgent than anything else.

Furthermore, as the Saemangeum project accelerates, fire demand is expected to increase due to the creation of a smart convergence city, and rapid changes in the fire environment are anticipated due to the establishment of various tourism and ecological industry bases.

Accordingly, Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters expects that the installation and full-scale operation of fire agencies tailored to fire demand will enable rapid response to fire, chemical, and special disaster sites.

Ju Nak-dong, Chief of Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, said, “Gunsan area has many large-scale national industrial complexes and factories, which has caused much concern among residents, but now we will make every effort to establish a chemical accident safety management system and ensure rapid and professional response.”

Meanwhile, the Gunsan Fire Station Harbor 119 Safety Center and the Chemical 119 Rescue Team are located together on the site of the former Gunsan Coast Guard Station. The Harbor 119 Safety Center is housed in a two-story building with a total floor area of 700㎡, equipped with one fire truck and one ambulance, staffed by 22 firefighters. The Chemical 119 Rescue Team is stationed in a building with a total floor area of 753.89㎡, equipped with one CBRN decontamination vehicle, one equipment transport vehicle, one high-performance chemical vehicle, and one rescue vehicle, staffed by 28 firefighters.