Gyeonggi-do Fire Department, Nationwide First 119 Honor Guard Established

Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters established the nation's first 119 Honor Guard on the 19th. Photo by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi-do Fire Department has established the 119 Honor Guard.

The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 19th that it held the inauguration ceremony for the Gyeonggi-do Fire Department 119 Honor Guard at the main conference room of the headquarters building in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon.

Although the Central Fire Band was established by the National Fire Agency in 2021, the 119 Honor Guard is the first of its kind in the nation, initiated by Gyeonggi-do.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters explained that the 119 Honor Guard was established to create a dignified and gallant image prioritizing the safety of residents and to further enhance the status of firefighters.

The Gyeonggi-do Fire Department 119 Honor Guard operates by initially selecting eight firefighters with prior military honor guard experience.

The inaugural honor guard commander is Fire Captain Lee Ni-eun from Ansan Fire Station. They plan to recruit additional personnel as needed in the future.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters uses equipment reflecting the unique symbolism of firefighting duties, such as ceremonial swords (刀), flags (旗) for events, rope guns, and galguri (a traditional firefighting tool), and plans to prepare honor guard uniforms going forward.

Starting with the inauguration ceremony, regular monthly training and additional training before events will be conducted. They will participate not only in Gyeonggi-do Fire Department’s own events such as 'Firefighting Day,' 'Firefighter Appointment Ceremony,' and 'Volunteer Fire Brigade Day Commemoration,' but also in events held by local governments.

Cho Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "We will spare no support to elevate the value of Gyeonggi-do Fire Department and to stand tall as ambassadors spreading the importance of fire safety. Just as the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Honor Guard boasts world-class standards, we aim to make the Gyeonggi-do Fire Department 119 Honor Guard the best in the world."

Meanwhile, the inauguration ceremony was held with the participation of Fire and Disaster Headquarters staff, frontline fire stations, and volunteer firefighters, proceeding with introductions of honor guard members, reports on activity plans, and the awarding of appointment certificates.

The fire honor guard is most active in the United States, where they operate under the name Fire Dept Honor Guard.

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