Rappelling into Water... Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters Joint Drill for Earthquake Preparedness and Water Rescue Accidents

79 Members of Yeongnam Region 119 Special Response Team Participate

On the 12th, the Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters conducted a joint earthquake response and water accident drill with the Yeongnam Region 119 Special Response Team at the Changnyeong-Haman Weir in Changnyeong County.

According to the provincial fire headquarters, this drill was carried out to strengthen integrated response capabilities and establish a smooth cooperation system in preparation for large-scale disasters.

The 119 Special Response Team is rappelling down with rescue equipment.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters, video capture provided]

The personnel participated in a simulated scenario where a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near the Changnyeong-Haman Weir in Gilgok-myeon, Changnyeong County, causing a 20-meter-high bridge pier under construction to collapse, resulting in citizens falling into the water.

Seventy-nine members of the 119 Special Response Teams from seven Yeongnam region institutions including Gyeongnam, Central, Busan, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Ulsan, and Changwon devoted themselves to the drill by rescuing those in need using rappelling and lifeboats.

The day’s activities included explanations of the rescue situation, assignment of tasks, situation assessment meetings, and water accident life-saving operations, followed by a discussion session on improvement measures after the drill.

The 119 Special Response Team is conducting a training exercise to rescue a person in distress who fell into a river. [Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

An official from the provincial fire headquarters stated, “Recently, some of the worst earthquakes worldwide, such as the Morocco earthquake, have caused significant damage, raising awareness about earthquakes. The Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters is doing its best to strengthen capabilities to establish an integrated and full-scale response system for large and special disasters such as earthquake-related water accidents.”

Jo In-jae, the Fire Headquarters Chief, said, “If an earthquake occurs in Gyeongsangnam-do, we will do our utmost to ensure safety by improving the special disaster response capabilities of rescue personnel through systematic education and training for swift and effective response. We will continue to conduct joint drills in the Yeongnam region to enhance disaster response capabilities.”