What to Do If an Electric Vehicle Fire Occurs on a Passenger Ferry?

Coast Guard Tows Burning Ship to Harbor
Seosamseok: "Fire Response Measures Needed... Must Equip Firefighting Gear"

Seo Samsuk Assemblyman

As electric vehicle fires have become more frequent recently, raising social concern, criticism has emerged that the Coast Guard has failed to prepare any measures against electric vehicle fires on ships such as passenger ferries.

According to data submitted by the Korea Coast Guard to the National Assembly inspection on the 21st, provided by Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Samsuk (Yeongam·Muan·Shinan), it was revealed that 97 coastal police stations and 21 patrol vessels in the country do not have any equipment to extinguish electric vehicle fires.

The Korea Coast Guard is required to devise policies to protect citizens' lives, bodies, and property from coastal accidents under the "Coastal Accident Prevention Act," and according to the "Enforcement Rules of the Korea Coast Guard and Its Affiliated Agencies Organization," it is responsible for marine accident and marine disaster preparedness and response.

However, it has been found that extinguishing electric vehicle fires at sea is practically impossible. The Fire Agency is obligated under the Fire Services Act to extinguish fires only on ships docked at ports, while the Coast Guard is responsible for accidents at sea. But when an electric vehicle fire occurs on ships such as passenger ferries, the Coast Guard lacks firefighting equipment and can only guide the ship to land to respond together with the Fire Agency.

The Coast Guard's electric vehicle fire response training has also been criticized as merely formal. Although 18 sessions have been conducted, they were carried out as docked port training rather than at sea, and the fire monitors installed on patrol vessels were ineffective for extinguishing fires, resulting in what was described as "showcase" training.

Lawmaker Seo criticized, "Although the Coast Guard is the agency responsible for national marine accidents, there is no distribution of electric vehicle fire extinguishing equipment at all," and added, "There is no effective equipment such as upward spraying devices or mobile water tanks, so it is questionable what kind of training they have conducted."

Seo further emphasized, "This shows an absurd response where initial measures cannot be taken when an electric vehicle fire occurs, and a burning ship must be towed to the port," and stressed, "Measures must be prepared for electric vehicle fires on passenger ferries, and effective firefighting equipment must be equipped."

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