Opening of 'Yongin Western Fire Station' on the 19th to serve 830,000 in Giheung and Suji Districts

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon attended the opening ceremony of the Yongin West Fire Station on the 19th and took a commemorative photo with members of the National Assembly, provincial councilors, and children who won awards at the Firefighting Song Contest.

On the 19th, the Yongin Western Fire Station in Gyeonggi-do held an opening ceremony at its office in Singal-dong, Giheung-gu, and officially began operations.

The Yongin Western Fire Station is organized into 3 departments, 1 division, 1 officer in charge, 6 centers, and 1 rescue team. It oversees two districts in the Yongin area, Giheung-gu and Suji-gu (with a population of approximately 830,000), providing high-quality fire safety services.

About 300 people attended the opening ceremony, including Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi-do; Cho Seon-ho, Head of the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters; National Assembly members Lee Eon-ju, Bu Seung-chan, Son Myeong-su, and Lee Sang-sik; as well as city and provincial council members, all supporting the vigorous start of the Yongin Western Fire Station.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, "Yongin, with a population nearing 1.1 million, ranks first nationwide in fire and rescue demands. There are 220 incidents daily in Yongin." He added, "Today marks a joyful day as the Yongin Western Fire Station opens and the Volunteer Fire Brigade is established, solving a long-standing issue."

He continued, "Although the station is temporarily opened here now, we will strive to open a proper Western Fire Station with an appropriate building and site in the most suitable location as soon as possible."

He also encouraged, "Despite the overwhelming workload, Gyeonggi Fire Services achieved remarkable results last year, earning a grade 1 safety index in Gyeonggi-do and ranking first in the most categories for nine consecutive years, becoming a reliable support for residents. Let us work together so that Gyeonggi Fire Services and Volunteer Fire Brigades prioritize the safety and lives of Gyeonggi residents and all of Korea."

Yongin City has experienced the highest fire service demand nationwide due to rapid population growth and large-scale housing developments, but only one fire station, the Yongin Fire Station located in Cheoin-gu, has been available, causing difficulties in emergency response.

Accordingly, Gyeonggi-do has been promoting the establishment of the Yongin Western Fire Station since 2018.

In particular, discussions on establishing the Yongin Western Fire Station took a turn last August when Governor Kim Dong-yeon gave special instructions for its early opening during the ‘Gyeonggi Provincial Government Current Issues Review Meeting.’

Following Governor Kim’s directive, Gyeonggi-do decided to open the fire station first using a leased building and to pursue construction of a dedicated building later, adopting a ‘first open, then build’ approach. After finalizing this plan, the province allocated a budget of 1.35 billion KRW at the end of last year for the opening of the Yongin Western Fire Station. The Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters leased a building in Giheung-gu in February this year, leading to the official opening ceremony held on this day.