Improvement of Firefighting Vessel Operation System and Strengthening of Safety Management Standards

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the 28th, the National Fire Agency announced that it will establish and promulgate the "Firefighting Vessel Operation and Management Regulations" to set standard criteria for firefighting vessels nationwide and strengthen safety management.

This measure aims to systematize detailed standards such as organizational operation, education and training, and status inspections related to firefighting vessels that differ by city and province, and to supplement deficiencies in safety management. Since October last year, the National Fire Agency has formed a dedicated team to conduct on-site inspections of operational conditions by city and province and collect opinions from operational personnel.

The main structure of the draft consists of 8 chapters and 32 articles, including general provisions, organization and duties, firefighting vessel operation and safety management, education and training, maintenance and repair, equipment management, and supplementary provisions.

Specifically, the size and mission standards of firefighting vessels are classified into firefighting boats, rescue boats, command boats, and rescue boats, and for efficient maintenance and management, an annual operation plan must be established and vessel insurance is mandatory.

Above all, to strengthen safety management, the departure weather standards of the "Maritime Safety Act" are applied, inspections of navigation equipment are conducted before and after entering and leaving port, and regular inspections and checks are required. Additionally, to ensure 24-hour safe navigation, regardless of vessel size, navigation equipment such as RADAR, GPS (Global Positioning System), AIS (Automatic Identification System), and ECHO SOUND (depth sounder) must be mandatorily installed.

To respond to vessel accidents, mandatory completion of basic safety education for new crew members and compliance with personal safety measures such as wearing life jackets are stipulated, and safety education standards for boarding personnel have also been established.

Furthermore, related foundational regulations have been prepared for the introduction of a firefighting vessel management system that can systematically manage various statuses such as vessel operation information, qualification management and service of boarding personnel, and vessel maintenance history.

A National Fire Agency official stated, "We plan to conduct on-site implementation inspections from the second half of this year," adding, "During the inspection period, we will continuously improve deficiencies related to firefighting vessel operations by collecting opinions from field personnel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.