Legal Basis Established for Firefighters' Prevention and Systematic Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Rep. Lee Hyung-seok's Proposed Amendment to the Firefighter Welfare Act Passed by the National Assembly with Alternative Reflected

A legal basis has been established to systematically alleviate the psychological shock that firefighters, who dedicate themselves to the safety of the public, may experience while performing their duties at horrific scenes, as well as to prevent and treat post-traumatic stress.

Rep. Lee Hyung-seok (The Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Buk-gu Eul), who spearheaded the bill, saw the partial amendment to the "Basic Act on Health, Safety, and Welfare of Firefighters" (hereinafter referred to as the Firefighters Welfare Act) incorporated as an alternative and passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 25th.

The alternative version of the Firefighters Welfare Act, which reflects the amendment as is, includes provisions to establish Fire Psychological Support Teams within the National Fire Agency and metropolitan/provincial governments to support firefighters' recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The majority of firefighters suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other conditions due to their exposure to horrific scenes, and their suicide rate is also higher compared to other professions.

Therefore, it is urgent to prepare support measures to reduce the suicide rate among firefighters and to prevent mental health issues that may arise due to the nature of their duties.

In response, Rep. Lee Hyung-seok proposed this bill to enable the state to provide effective support by establishing Fire Psychological Support Teams for firefighters whose mental health is threatened by post-traumatic stress and other conditions.

Rep. Lee stated, “I will continue to devote myself to legislative activities aimed at improving the health and welfare of firefighters.”

Additionally, at the plenary session on the 25th, an alternative reflecting Rep. Lee Hyung-seok’s bill on the "Police Officers Act" (which establishes grounds for cancellation of acceptance or appointment for those convicted of misconduct during police recruitment) was also adopted.

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