Fire and Ambulance 119 Calls Decreased While Life Safety Reports Increased in the First Half of This Year

An Increase of Over 100,000 Cases Compared to Last Year... A Decrease Observed from March to May During the COVID-19 Spread

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] In the first half of this year, as the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reduced citizens' outdoor activities, 119 emergency calls requesting fire, rescue, and ambulance services decreased. On the other hand, reports related to daily life safety significantly increased.

According to the Fire Agency on the 28th, the number of 119 calls in the first half of 2020 was recorded at 5,278,805, a 2% (103,554 calls) increase compared to 5,175,251 calls during the same period last year. This averages 29,004 calls per day, meaning a call is received every 3 seconds, and more than one out of every ten people in the country made a 119 call.

In particular, calls in January and February increased compared to the same period last year, but during March to May, when COVID-19 spread on a large scale and social distancing was in full effect, the number of calls decreased.

Looking at the call details, on-site dispatches such as fire, rescue, ambulance, and public assistance accounted for 37% (1,952,401 calls), medical guidance and civil complaints 30% (1,577,056 calls), and no response or misdials 33% (1,749,348 calls). Compared to the same period last year, fire, rescue, and ambulance calls decreased by 5.9% (99,334 calls), while daily life safety dispatches increased by 14.2% (44,867 calls).

The Fire Agency interpreted that due to the spread of COVID-19, people refrained from outdoor activities and avoided hospital visits, leading to a decrease in fire, rescue, and ambulance dispatches. Meanwhile, daily life safety dispatches increased due to requests such as support for African swine fever quarantine water supply and removal of beehives.

Among the 18 cities and provinces nationwide, Gyeonggi-do had the highest number of reports with 1,007,915 calls, followed by Seoul. Calls received from the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul and Incheon, accounted for about 41.7% of the total. Excluding no response and misdial calls, the number of reports showed the highest increase rate of 5% in both Daegu, where COVID-19 was widespread, and Sejong, where the population increased.

A Fire Agency official said, "In previous years, 119 calls related to typhoons increased in August and September," and urged, "Please pay special attention to facility management and safety accidents to prevent damage."

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