The National Fire Agency said on the 1st that it will operate the anonymous reporting system "K-Whistle" for a month for firefighters nationwide.
The National Fire Agency plans to receive reports on unfair practices and demeaning treatment that are hard to expose in the field, such as personal errands, forced drinking, and verbal abuse. To guarantee anonymity, it decided to run every step from report intake to feedback on the outcome using an independent server and security technology of an outside specialist firm.
An official at the National Fire Agency said, "K-Whistle is operated in a way that prevents tracking of a tipster's IP address and does not create access log files," and added, "It is managed through an independent server so that internal administrators or inspectors cannot track a tipster's identity."
The official added, "Even after a report is filed, the tipster and the inspector can engage in two-way communication—such as additional material requests, responses, and checking outcomes—through a channel within the system while remaining anonymous."
However, the National Fire Agency said there are limits to opening an investigation if the subject is not specified, concrete facts are not stated, or the report amounts only to speculation or vague suspicions. It urged tipsters to clearly fill in the time, place, people involved, and specific acts according to the five Ws and one H as much as possible, and to submit supporting documents when available.
The National Fire Agency will review the reports and take strict action on verified problems. Acting Commissioner Choi Yong-cheol said, "We will use this focused reporting period to correct unreasonable practices and do our best to establish an organizational culture that members can trust."