Support of Gas Masks for Patrol Vehicles to Quickly Respond to Electric Vehicle Fires

Support of 31 Gas Mask Sets to Dongdaemun Police Station for Rapid and Safe Initial Response
Follow-up Measure After Inter-Agency Agreement Signed Last August to Prepare for Electric Vehicle Fires

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced on the 1st that it has provided 31 sets of gas masks to patrol vehicles of the Dongdaemun Police Station, which arrive first at the scene in case of fire, to respond quickly and safely to the recently increasing electric vehicle fires.

This support is a follow-up measure to the business agreement signed on August 26 to recognize and prepare for the risks of electric vehicle fires, and was carried out using approximately 6.5 million KRW from the district’s disaster management fund.

According to data from the National Fire Agency, out of 79 electric vehicle fires that occurred from 2020 to 2022, 43 took place on roads. It was analyzed that in the case of fires on roads, it is important for patrol officers to arrive first at the scene to perform initial response and site control.

The Dongdaemun Fire Station suggested that wearing gas masks is essential for patrol officers to respond safely from toxic gases after arriving at the fire scene. Reflecting this opinion, the fire response gas masks provided this time are made with transparent glass, which is characterized by excellent visibility.

A district official stated, “These gas masks are equipped with filters that block toxic gases ranging from fine dust to sulfur and fluorine, and are expected to prevent patrol officers from inhaling toxic gases and suffering damage at fire scenes.”

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “Our district prioritizes the safety of residents and frontline police officers in the event of electric vehicle fires,” and added, “We will continue to spare no support for field workers to ensure safe and prompt fire response.”