Gyeonggi Fire Department, Personnel Appointments from the 25th and Special Exhibition of Fire Investigation Historical Documents

Personnel Appointment Orders Headquarters and Fire Investigation Department Ancient Documents of Suwon Fire Station

The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters recently discovered historical documents such as the personnel appointment command and fire investigation department records from Suwon Fire Station, the first fire station in Gyeonggi-do established on May 1, 1947, and will hold a special exhibition starting on the 25th.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters stated on the 21st that due to the Korean War and industrialization, proper preservation of materials was not maintained, and most documents were lost when Suwon Fire Station moved to a new building in 2004. However, they recently found one volume of the personnel appointment command from the time of the archive opening in the Suwon Fire Station storage.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters also recently received a fire investigation department record from 1951 as a donation from Mr. Heo Se-chang, a recent retiree from Gyeonggi Fire Services. These documents will be publicly displayed in a special exhibition at the completion ceremony of the Suwon Fire Station Lee's 119 Safety Center (in front of Gwanggyo Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office) on the 25th of this month.

Jo Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "These exhibits are rare materials that have never been publicly displayed in Korea before," adding, "They prove the history of firefighting during the US military government period, including the establishment of the Gyeonggi Fire Agency, and are highly valuable, so we hope many people will come to see them."

Suwon Fire Station originated from the 'Suwon Fire Brigade,' composed of civilians in 1909. In 1947, there were three fire stations in Gyeonggi-do: Incheon Fire Station, Kaesong Fire Station, and Suwon Fire Station. Suwon Fire Station played a leading role in regional administration in Gyeonggi-do and served as a central institution transferring advanced technology to volunteer fire brigades in various cities and counties.