Fire authorities raised the arrival rate within seven minutes—the "golden time" at fire scenes—to 70.3% in the first half of this year (January–June). The expanded installation of "119 Pass," which can quickly open shared apartment entrances, appeared to have an effect.
The National Fire Agency stated accordingly on the 5th through the second round of government briefings. Compared with the previous briefing, the installation rate of the priority traffic signal system for fire engines rose from 44.9% to 47%, and the installation rate of 119 Pass increased from 20% to 40%.
The full implementation in March of this year of a unified national fire helicopter dispatch system that removed jurisdictional boundaries between cities and provinces is also showing results. The helicopter arrival time at wildfire sites was shortened by about 4.8 minutes, from an average of 15.1 minutes in last spring to 10.3 minutes this year. Unified national helicopter dispatches for emergency patients such as high‑risk pregnant women also increased 2.2 times, from 62 in the first half of last year to 139 in the first half of this year.
Fire prevention also showed results. From June last year to May this year, about 37,000 fires occurred, a 5.97% (2,352 cases) decrease from the previous year. During the same period, the number of fire deaths fell from 363 to 306, down 15.7% (57 people). The National Fire Agency assessed that strengthened safety management, including inspections of 37,715 fire‑prone facilities, had an impact.
Based on its first-half performance this year, the National Fire Agency will focus on strengthening command capabilities at disaster sites, advancing the 119 system, introducing cutting‑edge equipment, reinforcing fire safety management at industrial sites, and improving transport systems for high‑risk pregnant women and patients with severe trauma.
In particular, it will establish an information strategy plan to build a next‑generation 119 system that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, and accelerate the development of unmanned advanced equipment, including vehicle‑type unmanned fire robots. Support for exporting fire industry products will also continue.
The National Fire Agency also plans to designate factories and warehouses where fires recur or where dust causes frequent fire detector malfunctions as key fire safety management targets, and to strengthen fire safety management at industrial sites by expanding the installation of intelligent fire detectors that sense both temperature and smoke. The scope of sprinkler installation requirements will be expanded from being floor‑count‑centered to include area standards, and facilities previously not required to install sprinklers will be supported with automatic diffusion fire extinguishers.
Choi Yong-cheol, acting commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "We will continue to proactively analyze and prepare for risk factors and vulnerabilities in fire administration so that people can feel the results in their daily lives."