"Son Jaeho, Fire Lieutenant of Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters, Named 'Nation's Best Firefighter': 'Thanks to My Colleagues'"

'25th KBS119 Awards' Main Prize Winner ... 17 Years of Dedicated Service at Disaster Sites as an Example

Son Jae-ho, Fire Lieutenant.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongwook Park] The Gyeongsangbuk-do Fire Headquarters announced on the 30th that Fire Lieutenant Son Jae-ho of the 119 Special Rescue Unit received the grand prize at the '25th KBS119 Awards,' which selects exemplary firefighters at disaster sites.

The KBS119 Awards were established in 1996 following the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store in 1995 to encourage the dedication of rescue and emergency medical personnel involved in life-saving activities and to raise public safety awareness. Up to last year, 537 recipients have been honored.

Fire Lieutenant Son, who began his career as a firefighter in 2003, has been recognized for his self-sacrificing spirit in conducting life-saving and fire suppression activities at various large and small disaster sites over the past 17 years, as well as his dedication to improving rescue techniques and providing public fire safety education.

In October 2018, he responded to the flooded Yeongdeok Ganggu Market caused by Typhoon 'Kong-rey' that struck the east coast and rescued about 60 residents. He was also a key figure in conducting underwater search operations for two weeks at the site of the Dokdo helicopter crash in October 2019.

Fire Lieutenant Son Jae-ho expressed his gratitude, saying, "I was able to receive such a great award because I had trustworthy and dependable fellow rescue team members working alongside me at disaster sites."

Meanwhile, at the '25th KBS119 Awards' ceremony held on the 27th at the KBS Headquarters TV Public Hall, marking the first year of firefighters transitioning to national status, 22 rescue and life safety personnel were honored with awards.

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