Ulsan Fire Department Implements Fire Prevention Measures for Apartment Complexes Over 20 Years Old

Joint Comprehensive Inspection with Related Agencies Until the End of Next Month
Enhancing Effectiveness Through Community-Oriented Preventive Policies

The Ulsan Fire Department is launching an emergency fire prevention initiative targeting apartment complexes that have been in use for more than 20 years since completion.

The department announced that, following a series of residential fires in the Busan area that resulted in casualties, it will conduct comprehensive fire safety inspections and implement various preventive measures for apartment complexes over 20 years old.

On June 24 and July 2, a tragic incident occurred in Busan where four children died in residential fires. On July 13, another fire broke out in an apartment in Mandeok-dong, Buk-gu, Busan, resulting in two more casualties, further heightening public anxiety.

Investigations have identified electrical factors and delayed initial evacuation as the main causes of these incidents. In some facilities, inadequate installation of fire detectors, alarms, and sprinklers?due to outdated standards?has been found to have contributed to the severity of the casualties.

In response, the Ulsan Fire Department plans to conduct a comprehensive review of the fire response systems in local apartment complexes and implement proactive preventive measures to prevent similar incidents in advance.

The inspections will take place over approximately two months, from this month through August 31, targeting 653 apartment complexes out of 1,885 in Ulsan that have been in use for more than 20 years since approval for occupancy.

The inspections will involve the fire department, local governments, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, and private experts. They will thoroughly examine areas closely related to residents' daily lives, including fire safety facilities, electrical installations, and evacuation systems.

Additionally, the Ulsan Fire Department will not limit its efforts to facility inspections but will also implement practical, community-oriented preventive policies that residents can experience in their daily lives. The department aims to strengthen fire response capabilities in apartment complexes and promote a safety culture centered on citizen participation through effective measures.

First, fire safety education for elementary schools will be enhanced. Elementary schools near densely populated apartment areas will receive both theoretical fire safety education and hands-on evacuation drills to improve children's initial response capabilities.

There will also be a focused campaign to prevent electrical fires. In consideration of the increased risk of fire due to a surge in electricity use during the summer, the department plans to intensively promote electrical safety guidelines through in-building broadcast systems, emergency text messages, and TV subtitles within apartment complexes.

Electrical safety guidelines include using a dedicated outlet for air conditioners and avoiding overloading multi-tap power strips.

Furthermore, the department will promote the improvement and distribution of fire detectors. The advantages of smoke detectors, which provide rapid initial detection, will be widely publicized, and residents will be encouraged to install stand-alone alarm-type detectors in each unit to strengthen early warning systems.

An official from the Ulsan Fire Department stated, "Due to their structural characteristics, older apartment complexes often face significant challenges in fire response, making prevention all the more important. Through this comprehensive inspection, we will systematically identify risk factors and, in cooperation with related agencies, establish effective measures such as expanding the distribution of residential fire safety facilities, strengthening electrical safety inspections, and enhancing preventive education for citizens."

Ulsan Fire Department.