Gyeongnam Firefighters' Union: "Abolishing Firefighter Local Tax Threatens Both Firefighters and Citizens"

The Fire Headquarters of the National Public Officials Labor Union, Gyeongnam Branch, urged the formal legalization of the Fire Safety Grant Tax, which is set to expire at the end of this year.

On the 13th, the Fire Headquarters of the National Public Officials Labor Union, Gyeongnam Branch, held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center, stating, "The abolition of the Fire Grant Tax could directly endanger the lives of the people."

"Although firefighters were converted to national employees in April 2020, the laws and budgets that needed revision remained unchanged, and personnel matters were left to cities and provinces, leaving the system neglected in a corner of society," they said. "What makes the 67,000 firefighters nationwide even more anxious now is the abolition of the Fire Safety Grant Tax."

The Jeonggongno Fire Headquarters Gyeongnam Branch is holding a press conference urging the formal legislation of the Fire Safety Grant Tax. Provided by the National Public Officials Union Fire Headquarters Gyeongnam Branch

The union said, "Firefighting equipment has a set service life and must be replaced periodically. If the stable funding source called the Fire Safety Grant Tax is cut off, it will pose a great risk to the safety of firefighters and the public."

According to the union, the Fire Safety Grant Tax was introduced in 2015 to improve the poor working conditions at fire sites and to provide equal firefighting services to all citizens. It is funded by 45% of the total amount of the individual tobacco consumption tax.

Of this, 25% is allocated to firefighter personnel salaries, and the remaining 20% is assigned to firefighting and safety sectors, with a special provision requiring that at least 75% of the funds allocated to these two sectors must be spent on firefighting.

The union explained that the special provision requiring at least 75% allocation to firefighting was a temporary clause extended every three years, but last year it was extended for only one year until the end of this year, leaving less than 50 days before the sunset period.

Lee Ji-woon, head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Fire Headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union, is announcing concerns regarding the abolition of the fire safety grant tax. Provided by the Gyeongnam branch of the Fire Headquarters of the National Government Employees' Union.

Branch Chief Lee Ji-woon said, "The Fire Safety Grant Tax has contributed to expanding firefighting equipment and strengthening fire safety management, gradually improving the staffing and equipment levels at previously poor fire sites." He added, "If this special provision is abolished, there is a high risk that firefighting finances will be drastically reduced depending on the financial situation of local governments, and the fire sites could return to their previous state of outdated and insufficient equipment."

He emphasized, "To prepare for and respond quickly to new disasters such as battery fires, it is essential to introduce new firefighting equipment, provide specialized training, and support stable funding for the safety of field personnel. The expansion and formal legalization of the Fire Safety Grant Tax must be achieved."

The press conference was held simultaneously nationwide by branches of the Fire Headquarters of the National Public Officials Labor Union, including Gyeongnam.

The Gyeongnam branch called for ▲ the prompt passage of the partial amendment to the Local Grant Tax Act related to the Fire Safety Grant Tax, which has been proposed in the National Assembly ▲ the establishment of measures to secure stable funding for the Fire Special Account ▲ and the expansion of the national government’s share of firefighting budget support.