Fire Agency Implements Emergency Transport Measures for Chuseok Holiday

The National Fire Agency will implement emergency transport measures during the two-week emergency response period before and after the upcoming Chuseok holiday.

The National Fire Agency announced that from the 11th to the 25th, it will establish and respond to emergency transport measures to minimize public anxiety about medical service gaps and ensure there are no disruptions in transporting emergency patients.

According to the National Fire Agency's ambulance activity statistics, the average number of ambulance dispatches during the Chuseok holiday period from 2021 to 2023 was 51,725, and the number of transported patients was 29,141, which is 11.9% and 9.8% higher per day compared to weekdays, respectively.

Accordingly, the National Fire Agency has prepared measures to distribute patients to hospitals capable of treatment according to the severity of their condition. Large hospitals will focus on treating severe emergency patients, and disease-specific medical institution networks for cardiovascular, burn, and digit replantation cases will be actively utilized.

City and provincial fire headquarters will monitor emergency patient transport situations within their jurisdictions, establish a 24-hour emergency contact system, and actively respond to emergencies. Emergency medical information will be shared with related organizations.

In cases where hospital admission is delayed, on-site paramedics will focus on patient care. If it is difficult to select a hospital within their own region or if specialized treatment is required, joint response and on-site support will be provided in cooperation with neighboring cities and provinces, the central 119 ambulance situation management center, and regional situation rooms.

To this end, the 119 ambulance situation management centers in 19 cities and provinces nationwide will reinforce consultation personnel by about 180 people (37.6%) during the holiday period and expand the operation of about 30 additional ambulances (42.3%) per day on average.

Additionally, 1,503 designated pump ambulances nationwide will be used to provide emergency treatment before ambulance arrival, and fire helicopters will be actively utilized when long-distance transport of severe emergency patients is necessary.

Heo Seok-gon, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, stated, "Although the situation is difficult, the fire service will do its best to ensure that the lives and safety of the public are not threatened," and added, "We hope that the public will also refrain from non-emergency calls and cooperate with paramedics in hospital selection so that everyone can have a safe and healthy holiday."