Firefighter Rescues Children Trapped in Stalled Elevator
Opens Door and Says "Come Out" Casually... Holds Children's Hands to Support Them
"Shouldn't They Be Disciplined?" vs "We Should Be Thankful They Saved Them"
A firefighter who rescued children trapped in a stopped elevator has become the subject of controversy. The issue arose because the firefighter forcibly opened the elevator door and used the informal command "Come out." Some netizens are even demanding disciplinary action against the firefighter, intensifying the debate.
A firefighter forcibly opening a stopped elevator door to rescue children. [Photo by Online Community]
On the 4th, a video titled "Firefighter who rescued elementary school students trapped for 2 hours in an apartment elevator" was posted on social media (SNS) and online communities, drawing attention. In the video, three elementary school students can be seen trembling with anxious eyes, trapped in a stopped elevator. Soon, a firefighter wearing an orange uniform forcibly opens the door and says to the children, "Come out." It can also be seen that the firefighter holds the hands of the children as they exit to help ensure a safe escape.
However, the video has received significant criticism on SNS. The main point of criticism is that the firefighter used informal speech toward the children. Netizens commented, "Using informal speech is a bit annoying," "Shouldn't there be disciplinary action? Why use informal speech?" "The kids weren't trapped because they were playing around, so why speak in such an unpleasant tone saying 'Come out'?" "We are grateful to the firefighter, but manners are a different issue," and "Why use informal speech?" Some even demanded disciplinary action against the firefighter.
On the other hand, some netizens responded, "Firefighters are not service workers; we should just be thankful when they save us," "It's strange that people feel uncomfortable just because informal speech was used," "Criticizing a firefighter who saved lives for using informal speech," and "Since the door opened, telling them to come out is natural; what else should they say, stay trapped in the elevator?"
Firefighters are professionals who prevent fires and accidents and, in the event of disasters, carry out firefighting, emergency rescue, and ambulance dispatch to save lives and protect property. Despite risking their lives to respond to fire and rescue scenes to protect citizens' lives and property, firefighters have not even been individually provided with essential life-saving equipment. An analysis of firefighter line-of-duty death data over the past 10 years (2011 to January 2022), submitted by the Fire Agency to former National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee member Lee Yong-ho in 2022, showed that a total of 55 firefighters died in the line of duty. The regions with the highest number of line-of-duty deaths were ▲Gyeonggi Province (15) and ▲Gangwon Province (10). By age group, firefighters in their 30s (30-39 years old) accounted for the most deaths at 22, and by dispatch purpose, fire (20) and rescue (10) were the leading causes.
Former Assemblyman Lee stated, "Firefighters are rushing to the scene even though communication devices like radios are only provided at the institution or team level or are completely lacking. It is only natural that essential equipment necessary to save lives should be individually provided to 119 rescue teams and safety centers. There must be no negligence in supporting essential equipment that safeguards firefighters' lives."
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