'National Integrated Dispatch System for Firefighting Helicopters' to be Piloted Nationwide Within the Year

On the 8th, the National Fire Agency announced that it plans to expand the 'National Integrated Deployment of Firefighting Helicopters' nationwide within this year to prepare for various emergencies and large-scale disasters.

Since April last year, the National Fire Agency has been conducting a pilot operation of the 'National Integrated Deployment of Firefighting Helicopters,' which unifies the previously dualized deployment system between the central government and city/provincial governments at the central level. This system allows the nearest and most optimal helicopter to quickly deploy to the accident site regardless of jurisdiction. The pilot is currently underway in four cities/provinces: Daejeon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Jeonbuk.

Analysis of helicopter deployment status in the four cities/provinces during the pilot operation period showed that out of a total of 194 deployments, 44 (22.7%) were integrated deployments. The analysis revealed a noticeable reduction in both deployment time and distance. On average, deployment time per case was shortened by about 14 minutes, and deployment distance was reduced by 41.5 km, resulting in a total reduction of 610 minutes and 1,828 km. Additionally, the reduction in flight time led to cost savings in fuel, consumable replacements, and parts repairs.

Based on these results, the National Fire Agency plans to expand the operation to eight additional cities/provinces in the Yeongnam and Honam regions, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeju, in January. Furthermore, to prepare for spring and autumn forest fires, an integrated deployment system will be established within this year for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon regions.

To establish the foundation for integrated deployment, the National Fire Agency has formed a task force (T/F) composed of pilots and maintenance technicians who are most familiar with the operational characteristics and deployment environment of firefighting helicopters. They have been progressively working on system construction and related legal amendments.

Yoon Sang-gi, Director of the Equipment Technology Bureau at the National Fire Agency, stated, “The integrated deployment system for firefighting helicopters provides a foundation for enhanced disaster response capabilities through faster deployment and emergency patient transport in critical situations.” He added, “We will expedite preparations to ensure full-scale expansion can begin in the second half of 2024, especially to prepare for large-scale and special disasters such as forest fires.”

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