Recurring 'Painful Memories'... Gyeonggi Northern Fire Department Sees Increase in Participation in 'Mind and Body Healing'

6,110 Cases Last Year... 1,807 Cases (42%) Increase Compared to Previous Year
Sharing Nationwide Firefighter Counseling Cases

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Last year, firefighters in northern Gyeonggi Province experienced an increase in psychological trauma incidents compared to the previous year, including cases of colleagues' deaths (line-of-duty deaths, suicides), injuries, verbal and physical abuse during work, and dispatches to scenes with multiple casualties.

Experts point out that early treatment is even more important, especially for new firefighters, as without proper psychological care, trauma can persist long-term due to fears of mental disorders or relapse.

Assault on 119 Paramedics [Photo provided by Gyeonggi-do Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters]

According to the Northern Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 25th, the number of cases using mental and physical health management programs through the firefighter peer counseling center last year totaled 6,110, an increase of 1,807 cases (42%) from the previous year (4,303 cases).

Support for mental recovery, including general counseling, in-depth counseling, and linkage with external organizations for personnel experiencing mental difficulties due to job stress, also increased. In-depth counseling cases were distributed as follows: job stress 79 (43%), personal/family 49 (27%), emergency psychological support 51 (26%), and others 6 (3%).

The main counseling and mental health programs include ▲emergency psychological support for psychological crisis situations ▲individual/job peer counseling and counseling by type and rank ▲mental health healing programs ▲post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention mental health education.

Among these, firefighters who participated in the mental health programs showed very high satisfaction (79% very satisfied, 20% satisfied). Emergency psychological support was provided 166 times to employees who experienced psychological trauma incidents, helping them return to daily life.

However, it should also be considered that the higher the participation and outcomes of firefighters in counseling and programs, the greater the number of related damage cases.

The working environment of firefighters and police officers, who sacrifice to protect public safety, is constantly exposed to danger. At times, they are placed in situations where they are not protected from safety risks.

Experts warn, "The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very high," adding, "If left untreated without proper therapy and psychological support, psychological pain such as anxiety, fear, and sadness can destroy lives."

Meanwhile, the Northern Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to diversify counseling targets this year, including new firefighters and mid-level managers, to maximize counseling effectiveness. They will also enhance counseling personnel by establishing a dedicated counseling office in an independent building to increase satisfaction among visiting firefighters and meet growing demand.

According to the Fire Agency, the budget for major projects supporting mental health care and safety for firefighters, including treatment and prevention management for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been confirmed at 6.571 billion KRW this year, an increase of 680 million KRW. This represents about an 11.6% increase compared to last year's 5.889 billion KRW.

The 'Firefighter Mental Health Care and Safety Support' project includes ▲mental health surveys ▲mobile counseling rooms ▲stress resilience enhancement programs ▲mental health counseling, testing, and medical expense support.

Go Deok-geun, head of the Northern Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "We will do our best to operate continuous and systematic counseling and mental health programs from the appointment to retirement of firefighters so that they can work healthily."

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