Gyeonggi Fire Department Applies 'Zero Tolerance' to Assaults on Firefighters... All 19 Cases Prosecuted

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters applied a zero-tolerance policy to 19 cases of firefighter assault in the first half of this year, all of which were referred to the prosecution.

The Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters announced on the 6th that among the 19 firefighter assault cases that occurred in the first half of this year, 13 cases related to the jurisdiction of the southern Gyeonggi region were directly investigated, and all were referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the "Fire Services Act." This led to sentences including two suspended prison terms, two fines, and nine cases still in trial. The remaining six cases were investigated by the Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters (2 cases) and the police (4 cases).

This achievement is due to the establishment of the Safety and Order Team in the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters in April last year, which is dedicated to special judicial police duties. Previously, frontline fire stations handled 1 to 3 cases of firefighter assault per year on their own, making response difficult. However, after establishing the Safety and Order Team, the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters has been taking strong measures by investigating all firefighter assault cases without exception and referring them to the prosecution.

By type, assault accounted for 17 cases, overwhelmingly the majority. There was one case each of property damage and verbal abuse. Among the perpetrators, 15 (79%) were intoxicated individuals, and two had mental illnesses.

Hong Jang-pyo, the Safety Officer of the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters, emphasized, "Protecting the rights and interests of firefighters is also the way to provide better fire services to residents," adding, "Obstruction of fire activities such as assault on firefighters is a serious crime that threatens community safety, and we will respond strictly."

Under the current Fire Services Act, anyone who assaults or threatens firefighters performing fire suppression, rescue, or emergency medical activities to obstruct fire activities is subject to imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

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