Fire Agency Chief's Cup 'National 119 Rescue Dog Competition' Held... 34 Teams Participate

Evaluation of Combined Tactics and Mountainous Area Search Capabilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Central 119 Rescue Headquarters of the National Fire Agency announced on the 23rd that it will hold the National 119 Rescue Dog Competition sponsored by the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency at the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters from the 24th to the 26th. This competition, which started in 2011 and is being held for the 12th time this year, features 34 teams from the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters and fire departments from cities and provinces nationwide that operate 119 rescue dogs.

The competition events include a comprehensive tactical course passing through six consecutive obstacles and two types of mountain area searches where participants rescue two simulated missing persons in nearby hills. Rankings are determined by comprehensively evaluating the time taken, the search ability of the 119 rescue dogs, and the handler’s operational skills. The best 119 rescue dog will be selected as the Top-Dog, and individual and team winners from first to third place will receive the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency Award, trophies, and prizes. This year, especially, one top scorer in each category of obstacles and mountain search will be selected and awarded the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters Chief’s Award, among others.

Jo In-jae, head of the Central 119 Rescue Headquarters, said, “Since the role of rescue dogs is crucial in large-scale disaster accidents such as collapses, we hope this competition will enhance search and rescue capabilities and serve as a venue to exchange training techniques and field operation knowledge between 119 rescue dogs and handlers, thereby contributing more to public safety.”

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