[2024 Budget] Fire Agency's Next Year Plan 336 Billion KRW... Strengthening Disaster Response and Preparedness

272 Billion KRW and 8.8% Increase Compared to Last Year

The National Fire Agency announced on the 29th that it has prepared a budget of 336 billion KRW for 2024. This amount represents an increase of 27.2 billion KRW (8.8%) compared to last year. The budget for next year is characterized by a focus on strengthening disaster response and preparedness to minimize loss of life and property damage from large-scale disasters.

First, the National Fire Agency plans to invest a total of 41.1 billion KRW for a nationwide full-scale response to natural disasters, including 6 billion KRW for the introduction of a large-capacity water cannon system (Seosan), 12 billion KRW for the construction of training grounds and equipment stockpile bases for earthquake preparedness and response, 3.6 billion KRW for the construction of a fire helicopter maintenance facility, and 19.5 billion KRW for the integration and relocation of the 119 comprehensive situation room.

Key new projects for the National Fire Agency next year include ▲ the establishment of live fire training facilities, ▲ development of fire extinguishing systems for electric vehicle fires, and ▲ development of technologies to enhance fire safety such as personal protective equipment.

To address the lack of field experience caused by an increase in newly appointed firefighters and a decrease in fire occurrence frequency, and to strengthen on-site response capabilities, live fire training facilities will be established in five cities and provinces nationwide. A total of 4.1 billion KRW will be spent on five locations (Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeongnam in 2024; Busan, Incheon in 2025).

Additionally, 3.9 billion KRW will be invested in the development of firefighting equipment, safety facilities, and response guidelines to prepare for and respond to new types of electric vehicle fire incidents, which have recently become a major issue. Furthermore, 2 billion KRW will be allocated for research to advance firefighting, rescue, and emergency medical equipment to enhance the safety and response capabilities of field personnel, promoting practical research and development for the field.

Key ongoing projects for next year include ▲ the construction of the National Fire Hospital, ▲ support projects for the development of the fire industry, ▲ reinforcement of education and training facilities and replacement of outdated equipment, and ▲ installation of a virtual disaster command training system.

Specifically, 69.3 billion KRW will be invested in the National Fire Hospital construction project (scheduled for completion in 2025), which specializes in occupational diseases related to firefighters. Additionally, 800 million KRW will be invested in fire industry development support projects to establish the foundation for K-Fire’s future growth and enhance its status. Furthermore, 7.7 billion KRW has been allocated for improving educational infrastructure to cultivate strong firefighting talent and for reinforcing education and training facilities and replacing outdated equipment to efficiently respond to the diversification of disaster types. Also, 4 billion KRW has been reflected for the installation of virtual disaster command training systems at two regional fire academies.

Outside of the general account, a total of 870.4 billion KRW has been secured, including 31.4 billion KRW from the Emergency Medical Fund (Ministry of Health and Welfare) for supporting the operation of 119 ambulance teams and expanding 119 rescue equipment, 22 billion KRW from the National Property Management Fund (Ministry of Strategy and Finance) for relocating the National Fire Research Institute building and constructing the Firefighter Physical and Mental Training Center, 1.6 billion KRW from the Lottery Fund (Ministry of Strategy and Finance) for reinforcing negative pressure ambulances, and 806.5 billion KRW from the Fire Safety Grant Tax.

Bae Deok-gon, Planning and Coordination Officer of the National Fire Agency, stated, “Next year’s budget aims to systematize the national full-scale response system so that it can be quickly activated in the event of a large-scale disaster, expand health and safety management support for field personnel, and strengthen education and training to enhance the capabilities of firefighters. We will continue to strive to provide optimal fire services that meet the needs of the public and are suitable for the field in response to the changing disaster environment.”

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