On the 30th, it was learned that the government is pushing a plan to create a "hazard duty allowance" for dedicated personnel operating weather observation vehicles that enter wildfire scenes to measure wind direction and wind speed and relay that information to suppression crews. Firefighters and police officers have received hazard duty allowances, but dedicated personnel for weather observation vehicles have not.

A weather observation vehicle is a general van-type unit equipped with devices that can measure wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation. It is deployed not only to typhoon, heavy rain, and heavy snow scenes but also to wildfires and chemical accident sites. By detecting the direction and strength of the wind, it can help prevent or reduce the spread of wildfires or chemical substances.

On the morning of August 10, 2023, as Typhoon Kanun moves north toward the Korean Peninsula, a field meteorological observation vehicle from the Seoul Metropolitan Weather Agency is positioned at Seoul's Sangam World Cup Stadium, where the Jamboree K-pop Concert will be held, to analyze the weather. /Courtesy of News1

Dedicated personnel for weather observation vehicles are exposed to various dangers as much as firefighters or police officers who are deployed to disaster scenes. They were active at the large wildfire site in North Gyeongsang Province early this year. However, dedicated personnel for weather observation vehicles have not received hazard duty allowances. In contrast, firefighters and police officers have been receiving 40,000–70,000 won per month as hazard duty allowances.

Accordingly, the Korea meteorological Administration recently asked that dedicated personnel for weather observation vehicles be included as eligible for hazard duty allowances, and the Ministry of Personnel Management plans to finalize whether to revise the relevant rules by the end of the year. An official at the Ministry of Personnel Management said they are "reviewing inclusion as eligible for the hazard duty allowance."

According to the office of Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the Environment and Labor Committee of the National Assembly, one weather observation vehicle is assigned to each of the eight regional Korea meteorological Administration offices and branches nationwide. There are two dedicated personnel per vehicle, for a total of 16.

Kang Deuk-gu said, "The fact that Korea meteorological Administration employees who risk their lives to conduct observations at disaster scenes are working without even minimal safety measures and fair compensation is a major hole in the public safety net."

Kang also said, "With dedicated personnel for weather observation vehicles limited to two per vehicle, it is difficult to form rotating shifts," adding, "Staffing for stable operations and legal and institutional improvements must inevitably proceed in parallel."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.