Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters Fire Sergeant Jo Gang-yo Receives Ministerial Award on 'Suicide Prevention Day'

Jokangyo Fire Sergeant

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Fire Captain Jo Gang-yo (38), affiliated with the Disaster Comprehensive Command Center of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, recently received a commendation for suicide prevention (Minister of Health and Welfare Award) at the 'Suicide Prevention Day' ceremony held at the Millennium Hilton Seoul Hotel.

Captain Jo was recognized for saving the life of a suicide attempter by promptly dispatching a response team and engaging in a 16-minute phone conversation with the reporter who sent a text message in November 2020 stating an intention to attempt suicide, thereby buying time until the response team arrived at the scene.

At that time, Captain Jo identified the exact location of the reporter through the mobile phone base station and relayed it to the response team, who were able to save the life of the suicide attempter through swift rescue efforts.

Since his appointment as a firefighter in October 2006 and his assignment to the Disaster Comprehensive Command Center in 2014, Captain Jo has been a veteran firefighter handling approximately 14,200 reports and dispatches annually.

He received the Gyeonggi Province Governor’s Award in 2014 and the Fire Agency Commissioner’s Award for Meritorious Service on Firefighting Day in 2021.

Captain Jo Gang-yo said, "I gained the valuable experience that 'a single phone counseling call can save a precious life,'" and added, "I will continue to do my best to protect the precious lives of the people."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Life Respect Hope Foundation hold the 'World Suicide Prevention Day' event every year on September 10. This year, 31 individuals and 10 organizations who contributed to the spread of suicide prevention and life respect culture were honored with awards.

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