During Typhoons and Heavy Rain, '119 Emergency Calls Surge'... Chungnam Requests Restraint on Simple Inquiry Calls

Graph of 119 emergency reports during summer disasters over the past 5 years. Provided by Chungnam Province.

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Chungnam Provincial Fire Headquarters has urged the public to refrain from using the 119 emergency number for simple inquiries during typhoons and heavy rain. This is because the surge of non-emergency calls during weather warnings could delay response times in actual emergencies.

According to the provincial fire headquarters on the 6th, over the past five years, a total of 49,738 calls were received by 119 during summer weather warnings such as typhoons and heavy rain.

Of these, 16,862 calls (34%) were classified as emergency reports, while 32,976 calls (66%) were categorized as non-emergency reports.

In particular, non-emergency calls received during weather warnings increased more than tenfold over four years, from 2,772 calls in 2016 to 28,134 calls last year. This is interpreted as a result of growing public anxiety and heightened interest in safety due to the increasing frequency of typhoons and heavy rain.

The problem is that as non-emergency calls such as simple inquiries increase, the fire authorities’ response to urgent situations like rescues may be delayed.

To address this, the provincial fire headquarters’ 119 comprehensive situation room doubles the number of staff on duty compared to normal times when emergencies are anticipated, and operates 7 additional emergency reception lines alongside the 23 regular 119 reception lines.

Also, when the simultaneous connection capacity of 119 calls (120 lines) is exceeded, the system switches to an automatic response ARS, where 119 situation officers call back the reporters.

However, despite operating this emergency reception system, the provincial fire headquarters explains that if damages caused by abnormal weather occur simultaneously, the surge in 119 calls can become overwhelming and unmanageable.

Therefore, the provincial fire headquarters asks that inquiries about non-urgent weather situations be checked through disaster broadcasts and the internet, and that general civil complaints be directed to 110.

Jin Jong-hyun, head of the 119 comprehensive situation room, said, “This summer also has a high possibility of localized heavy rain or heatwaves and other weather disasters. We ask the public to familiarize themselves with weather information in advance and refrain from making 119 calls for general information.”

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