"Fire Alert" ... False Report Fine Up to 5 Million Won

Enforcement Decrees of the 'Fire Services Basic Act' and 'Fire Industry Act' Amendment to be Promulgated on the 19th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] From now on, a false report of a fire situation will result in a fine of up to 5 million KRW. For fire service providers engaged in manufacturing and selling fire safety equipment, subscribing to liability insurance or mutual aid is mandatory.

The National Fire Agency announced on the 18th that the amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Fire Services Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Fire Industry, which include these provisions, will be promulgated on the 19th.

Under the current Fire Services Act, a fine of up to 2 million KRW has been imposed on those who falsely report fire, rescue, or emergency medical situations. The amendment raises the fine amounts for false reports, imposing 2 million KRW for the first offense, 4 million KRW for the second, and up to 5 million KRW for the third, increasing both the graduated fine amounts and the maximum limit.

The National Fire Agency expects that this will prevent waste of firefighting resources due to unnecessary dispatches caused by false reports and help prevent major accidents resulting from gaps in disaster site responses.

Regarding the Fire Industry Act, fire service providers such as fire facility designers, fire facility contractors, fire construction supervisors, and fire facility managers are now required to subscribe to liability insurance or mutual aid to cover compensation responsibilities if they cause damage to third parties while performing their duties. Detailed standards such as subscription periods will be delegated to Presidential Decree.

Before the mandatory insurance or mutual aid subscription, the subscription rate among fire service providers was only 8%.

Fire facility design, fire construction supervision, fire facility management services, and fire facility construction contracted by the state or local governments will also be subject to mandatory subscription. The subscription amount will be based on the contract amount of the construction, and the subscription period will be from the start date of the construction to the completion date or one year after the completion date.

The method for calculating the subscription amount and the subscription procedures under the Enforcement Decree of the Fire Industry Act will be established by a National Fire Agency notice in February.

A National Fire Agency official explained, "Through the insurance or mutual aid subscription of fire service providers, victims will receive appropriate compensation, and providers will have reduced burdens regarding liability, which will bring positive outcomes for the development of the fire industry."

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