45 Nationwide 119 Ambulances and 180 Firefighters Deployed to the Seoul Metropolitan Area Amid Rapid Surge in COVID-19 Cases

Fire Agency Issues Mobilization Order No. 1 for Firefighters in Preparation for Patient Transport... Support from 12 Cities and Provinces

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The National Fire Agency has decided to deploy 119 ambulances and paramedics from other regions to support patient transport in the Seoul metropolitan area, where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing.

On the 13th at 12 noon, the National Fire Agency issued 'Fire Mobilization Order No. 1' and announced that 45 ambulances and 180 paramedics from the fire headquarters of 12 cities and provinces including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Changwon departed for Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

This mobilization order is a preemptive response measure in anticipation of an increase in patient transport due to about 800 new COVID-19 confirmed cases occurring daily in the metropolitan area and the additional operation of temporary screening clinics.

The 119 ambulances mobilized from the 12 cities and provinces will be deployed with 25 vehicles in Seoul, 12 in southern Gyeonggi, and 8 in northern Gyeonggi, stationed respectively at Jamsil Sports Complex, Suwon Sports Complex, and Uijeongbu Fire Station. They will assemble by 10 a.m. on the 14th and work in two 24-hour shifts to support the transport of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients to designated hospitals.

When COVID-19 spread in Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions last February, the National Fire Agency also issued a total of four mobilization orders, deploying 147 ambulances and 294 paramedics to transport 7,883 confirmed patients and 1,649 suspected patients to hospitals or isolation facilities.

Nationwide, the 119 ambulance teams have supported the transport of 21,355 confirmed patients and 100,323 suspected patients as of the 12th of this month, and at Incheon Airport, they operate a special entry procedure transport support team to assist with the transport of overseas arrivals.

Shin Yeol-woo, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation not only in the metropolitan area but across the country, and will promptly issue additional mobilization orders if necessary. We will mobilize all firefighting capabilities to provide support."

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