A driver who parked illegally directly in front of a fire station's vehicle entrance offered an absurd excuse, sparking controversy.
According to online communities on the 31st, firefighter A, who works at a fire station in Incheon, recently shared the situation by posting on social media (SNS) a photo of a passenger car parked in front of the station's garage.
A said, "When I called after the car was parked in front of the fire station garage, the driver said, 'I thought the fire station wasn't operating,'" and added, "Even if the garage door is closed, do not park there."
A said, "We work in shifts 24 hours a day, without days off," and appealed, "Please let this not happen."
Internet users who saw the news reacted by saying, "Does fire break out on set dates and times? Even an elementary school student would know a fire station is on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," "Is a fire station a self-employed business?" and "If a fire station has a day off, would they not respond even if the car owner's house catches fire that day?"
Not only fire stations and 119 safety centers but also areas within 5 meters of fire hydrants on roads, water supply towers, and emergency fire extinguishing equipment are no-parking zones. If a vehicle is parked illegally in these zones, a violation of Article 32 of the Road Traffic Act, "stopping and parking prohibited," applies, and a passenger car may be subject to fines of 80,000 won.
In addition, under Article 25 of the current Framework Act on Fire Services, heads of fire headquarters and fire station chiefs have the authority, when an urgent dispatch such as firefighting is necessary, to move or remove at their discretion parked vehicles that obstruct the passage of fire trucks or hinder their operations. If necessary, even if physical damage is caused, they are not required to provide compensation for the loss.