Ten Chungnam 119 Ambulances Carry Out Second Mission in Laos

Governor Kim Taeheum:
"It Is Meaningful That Our Ambulances Will Now Serve the People of Laos"

After responding to approximately 100,000 calls and saving over 60,000 lives in Chungnam and Daejeon, ten 119 ambulances whose legal service period has expired have departed for Laos to undertake their second mission of protecting the lives of Laotian citizens.

The Chungnam Fire Headquarters held a delivery ceremony for the ambulances to be sent to Laos on the 20th at the provincial government’s multipurpose plaza, attended by Governor Kim Taeheum, Ko Gwangcheol, Chairman of the Provincial Council’s Construction and Firefighting Committee, Yoo Hyunsook, Chairperson of the Nanum Culture and Arts Association, about 400 firefighters, and other officials.

This ambulance support is in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2022 between the province and the Laotian government to strengthen friendly cooperation. So far, the province has provided a total of 32 ambulances to Laos?15 in 2023 and 17 last year?which, although past their legal service period, are still operationally sound.

This time, at the request of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos, the Fire Headquarters sent a total of 10 ambulances to Laos?seven from fire stations in the province and three from fire stations in the Daejeon area.

The ambulances, manufactured in 2018, have been dispatched 104,417 times, transporting 66,242 people, and have traveled a total distance of 2,518,312 kilometers. The Chungnam Fire Equipment Education and Management Center inspected and replaced all necessary consumables such as tires, batteries, and various oils to ensure proper operation.

The Fire Headquarters is also providing 520 pieces of fire and rescue equipment in seven categories, including special fire-resistant suits, safety gloves, fire hoods, safety vests, and signal batons, to support emergency and firefighting activities.

To ensure the continuous and proper use of the ambulances provided, the Fire Headquarters plans to visit the regions in Laos where the ambulances are deployed, offering basic maintenance and technical training on equipment operation, making this an ongoing support project rather than a one-time donation.

Governor Kim Taeheum said, "Our ambulances have completed their mission by saving over 66,000 lives in the past five years, and it is meaningful that they will now serve the people of Laos," adding, "The province continues to contribute to the development of Laos by providing ongoing support such as ambulances, police cars, desks and chairs, computers, medical volunteer teams, and even the Saemaeul Undong movement."

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