Gyeonggi-do Conducts 'Special Audit' on Illegal Parking Around Fire Hydrants

Illegal Parking Vehicles Around Fire Hydrant

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will conduct a special audit on the management status of 'illegal parking around fire hydrants' that obstructs initial response in emergencies. This special audit follows a proposal from the Gyeonggi Provincial Council emphasizing the need to audit the management status of illegal parking around fire hydrants.

According to the province on the 28th, the number of illegal parking violations around fire hydrants in the province has been steadily increasing, from 66,819 cases in 2020 to 92,204 cases as of the end of October 2022.

Following the 2017 fire disaster at the Jecheon Sports Center in Chungbuk, the government strengthened regulations and reporting systems for illegal parking around fire hydrants, including implementing a resident reporting system (Safety Report). However, the province explains that illegal activities have not decreased.

Accordingly, next month, the province will inspect illegal parking enforcement around fire hydrants mainly in busy areas, the operation status of the resident reporting system (Safety Report), the installation and maintenance status of traffic safety facilities, and whether the underground fire hydrants apply the Gyeonggi Province standard design.

This audit will be conducted by an audit team composed of fire service auditors and citizen auditors with extensive practical experience and expertise. The audit will be conducted as a sample in Anyang City and Hanam City, then the cases will be disseminated to the remaining 29 cities and counties in the province for self-audits. The province plans to complete a full inspection of the management status of illegal parking around fire hydrants by the first half of next year.

Choi Eun-soon, the provincial auditor, stated, "After internally reviewing the Gyeonggi Provincial Council’s administrative audit proposal, we judged that the issue of illegal parking around fire hydrants is necessary to protect the lives and property of residents, so we decided to proceed with a special audit. We will discover more life-oriented special audits that residents can relate to and create a safer Gyeonggi Province."

Meanwhile, as of the end of October this year, there are a total of 29,762 fire water facilities, including fire hydrants, managed by fire stations and cities/counties within the province.

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