"Come Back Alive, Come Back Alive" ... The 58th Firefighters' Day Commemoration Ceremony

On the 6th, a pledge to protect public safety at Chungnam Central Fire Academy

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the morning of the 6th at 10:30 AM, the National Fire Agency will hold the '58th Firefighters' Day' commemorative ceremony at the Fire Suppression Training Center of the Central Fire Academy located in Gongju-si, Chungnam.

The ceremony will proceed in the following order: reading of the dedication letter, national anthem, greeting from the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, screening of support message videos from citizens rescued by firefighters, awards for meritorious service, appointment of honorary firefighters, commemorative speeches, fire suppression demonstrations, and recitation of firefighters' prayers.

The dedication letter titled "Return Alive, Return Alive," written by author Kim Hoon, expresses the hope that all people will be saved and that firefighters, who rush to disaster sites and enter the flames, will safely return. While voice actor An Ji-hwan, the National Fire Agency's public relations ambassador, reads the dedication letter, footage of firefighters working at various disaster scenes will be shown on the background screen.

The salute to the national flag will be read by Fire Captain Yu Ji-yeon of the Yeongdeungpo Fire Station in Seoul, who is the first woman to serve as a large ladder truck operator. Following this, during the moment of silence for the patriotic martyrs, national heroes, and fallen firefighters, a trumpet memorial piece performed by Fire Lieutenant Kang Il-bu of the Gwangju Fire Headquarters at the firefighter cemetery in Daejeon National Cemetery will be played.

Support message videos sent from various sectors will also be screened. This includes encouragement and requests from celebrities and popular figures, passionate lawmakers advocating for enhanced safety legislation, and gratitude messages from citizens rescued at the Ulsan apartment fire scene, providing an opportunity to reflect on what the public expects and hopes from firefighters.

As government awards, a total of 182 individuals and 6 organizations, including Fire Deputy Commissioner Jo Sun-ho of the National Fire Agency, will receive honors such as the Order of Service Merit, Presidential and Prime Minister commendations.

Additionally, actors Lee Jun-hyuk, who portrayed dedicated firefighters in films and dramas themed around disaster recovery, and Jo Bo-ah, who led recovery efforts for the Gangwon wildfire damage, will be appointed as honorary firefighters.

During the ceremony, a comprehensive fire suppression demonstration will be conducted, simulating fire incidents in high-rise buildings and multi-use facilities, covering the entire process from 119 emergency calls to mission completion. This training, held at the comprehensive training tower, will involve 18 large-scale equipment units such as fire helicopters, multi-purpose demolition water trucks, and high-performance chemical fire trucks, along with over 100 firefighters, responding to scenarios with massive real flames.

Commissioner Shin Yeol-woo of the National Fire Agency stated, "Regarding the transition to a national position, which has been a long-standing wish of firefighters, we will dedicate ourselves with renewed determination for the safety of the people, as much as the support we have received from the public. We will strengthen firefighting capabilities and continuously develop response technologies to create a Korean firefighting service that the world envies, adapting to the changing disaster environment."

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