Gyeonggi Fire Department Conducts April 'Soundproof Tunnel Fire' Evacuation Drill... Installation of Guide Signs

Entrance view of the soundproof tunnel

The Gyeonggi-do Fire Department will install "Evacuate First in Case of Fire" signs at 81 soundproof tunnels across the province. Additionally, a large-scale comprehensive drill will be conducted next month in preparation for fire emergencies.

On the 7th, the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced that on the 3rd, they had pilot-installed a fire evacuation sign at the entrance of a soundproof tunnel on Poeun-daero in Suji-gu, Yongin City. The sign features white letters on a bright red background stating "Evacuate First in Case of Fire."

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to actively recommend the installation of these signs to the tunnel management authorities, including city and county governments and the Korea Expressway Corporation.

There are a total of 81 soundproof tunnels in the province, with 41 managed by city and county governments, and the remaining 40 managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Expressway Corporation.

Furthermore, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters will conduct a large-scale comprehensive drill next month simulating a fire occurring inside a tunnel.

The drill will involve multiple operations such as rapid evacuation guidance, rescue of people, and fire suppression using in-tunnel firefighting facilities like indoor fire hydrants.

After the drill, they will also address deficiencies in the existing manuals, including the specialized disaster response technical handbook for various types and the standard 119 emergency medical response manual for mass casualty disasters.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to propose to the government a legislative amendment to classify soundproof wall materials as "non-combustible" and to mandate the installation of information signs at soundproof tunnels.

Jo Seon-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "We will encourage road management authorities to install fire evacuation signs and conduct a comprehensive drill next month, promoting comprehensive safety measures for soundproof tunnels to prevent the recurrence of large-scale tunnel fires."

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