"Prevent Apartment Fires"... Gyeonggi Fire Department Promotes Alarm Supply and Safety Education

Apartment Fire

The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters will provide safety equipment such as fire alarms and conduct training in fire-vulnerable apartments within the province.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters will first supply fire alarms and fire extinguishers to approximately 12,000 aging apartments that are fire safety vulnerable, where elderly living alone and people with disabilities reside.

Additionally, by the 12th of this month, they will inspect the proper operation of fire facilities in 371 aging apartments in the province that do not have sprinkler systems installed within units, as there is no legal obligation under fire laws.

In particular, fire prevention and initial fire response training will be conducted for all 1,772 apartment complex managers, safety managers, and security guards across the province.

Furthermore, fire safety rules will be promoted extensively using various media such as broadcasts, newspapers, social networking services (SNS), and apartment elevator bulletin boards.

There is also a plan to perform fire safety-related puppet shows targeting children and the elderly at community centers within apartments.

Jo Sunho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "Due to the nature of apartments where many households live in confined spaces, fire prevention and initial response are of utmost importance," adding, "We will actively promote commendations and other encouragement measures for apartment complexes that manage safety creatively and exemplarily."

Meanwhile, over the past five years, an average of 753 fires per year occurred in apartments in the Gyeonggi area. By cause of ignition, negligence (46%) was the most common, followed by electrical (35%) and mechanical factors (9%). Among negligence cases, cooking food (40%), cigarette butts (22%), leaving fire sources unattended (12%), and use of electrical/mechanical products (8%) were the main causes.

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