Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters Minimizes Medical Gaps... Operates 'Emergency Medical Situation Management Center'

24-Hour Counseling Staff
Jeonbuk 119 Counseling Talk and More

Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters announced on September 26 that it will significantly strengthen the operation of the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center during the Chuseok holiday period to minimize medical service gaps caused by hospital, clinic, and pharmacy closures.

The Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters will significantly strengthen the operation of the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center during the Chuseok holiday period to minimize medical service gaps caused by the closure of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Provided by Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters

The 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center, which began full-scale operations in January this year, is staffed 24 hours a day by professional counselors, including nurses and Level 1 emergency medical technicians. The center provides services such as selecting appropriate hospitals for ambulances, guiding callers to medical institutions and pharmacies, offering emergency consultations, instructing on emergency first aid, and connecting callers to physicians when necessary.

During last year's Chuseok holiday period (September 14-18), there were a total of 1,747 calls to 119, which was 2.3 times higher than the daily average of 150 calls. Of these, guidance on hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies accounted for 1,331 cases (76%), making it the most frequent request, followed by instructions on emergency first aid, medical guidance, and selection of hospitals for patient transport.

For this year's Chuseok holiday (from 6:00 p.m. on October 2 to 9:00 a.m. on October 10), the headquarters will double the number of counseling phone lines from four to eight and add five temporary staff members, operating an emergency system with a total of 22 staff members working in shifts.

Additionally, by actively utilizing the Jeonbuk-style emergency patient transport system, the center will quickly guide patients to the most appropriate medical institutions according to their condition, in cooperation with regional emergency medical centers (Jeonbuk National University Hospital and Wonkwang University Hospital), local emergency medical centers, local emergency medical institutions, and specialized small hospitals.

In critical situations such as cardiac arrest or severe trauma, a joint response system will be operated in collaboration with the wide-area emergency situation room.

In the event of mass casualty incidents, the emergency team will classify and transmit patient conditions from the scene, and the center will oversee patient distribution and selection of transport hospitals. The center also plans to respond efficiently through disease-specific networks with regional cardiovascular centers and specialized burn hospitals.

In particular, through the KakaoTalk-based "Jeonbuk 119 Counseling Talk," real-time consultations are available for information on medical institution closures, emergency first aid guidance, and ambulance dispatch requests, making it easy for socially vulnerable groups, including those with hearing or speech impairments, to access services.

Song Sangcheol, head of the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center, urged, "During the holiday period, it is important to familiarize yourself in advance with emergency first aid methods to prepare for domestic accidents such as burns or airway blockages, and to keep basic medicines such as antipyretics or disinfectants at hand."

Lee Osuk, head of Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, stated, "We will thoroughly prepare the Jeonbuk-style emergency patient transport system and counseling system to minimize inconvenience for residents and ensure a safe Chuseok holiday through prompt and accurate responses," adding, "In case of an emergency, please call 119 or use Jeonbuk 119 Counseling Talk."