"Firefighter Responsible for Door Cost? Controversy Over Damaged Front Door During Fire Rescue"

Mayor Kang Gi-jung: "Firefighters Should Not Worry About Compensation"
Citizens Flood with Donation Inquiries After Hearing the News
Fire Authorities: "Compensation Will Be Covered at Our Own Expense"

Recently, controversy has arisen as the fire department in Gwangju was held liable for damages after a front door was broken during a search for victims in a fire. As the system forces firefighters to bear damages that occur during fire suppression and rescue operations, the Gwangju city government has stated, "We will take administrative responsibility."

Currently, the Bukbu Fire Station is rejecting a series of donation offers from citizens and is proceeding with the compensation process at its own expense.

A fire broke out last month on the 11th at a villa in Bukgu, Gwangju. Photo by Gwangju Northern Fire Station

According to the Bukbu Fire Station in Gwangju on the 25th, firefighters responded to a fire at a villa in Sinan-dong, Buk-gu, last month on the 11th. During the evacuation of residents, the front door was forcibly opened, resulting in damage to the lock and the door itself.

Normally, property losses incurred during firefighting are compensated by the homeowner through fire insurance. However, as the resident in their 30s who lived in the unit where the fire started passed away, there was no one to hold liable for the damages.

As a result, villa residents requested the fire authorities to compensate for the damaged front doors and locks caused by the forced entry. The fire station, now responsible for the compensation, inquired with their administrative liability insurance provider about the possibility of coverage, but received a response that it was "not possible." This insurance only covers losses resulting from firefighters' mistakes or illegal acts.

The insurance company stated, "We cannot compensate for damages incurred during a lawful search for victims," determining that no payment would be made. Since the damage occurred during a legitimate search, they believe the compensation should come from the homeowners' fire insurance.

With no insurance payout, the fire department is now responsible for approximately 1.3 million won per household, totaling about 8 million won for six households. As this became known, public opinion was stirred. Criticism arose regarding the structural issue that requires firefighters to personally bear damages incurred during rescue operations.

On the 24th, Gwangju Mayor Kang Kijeong expressed his position on property damage caused by forced entry through the front door during the rescue operation at the fire scene through his Facebook.

In response, the Gwangju city government announced that it would compensate for the cost of replacing the damaged front doors after review by the Loss Compensation Deliberation Committee. The city plans to compensate the affected households after accurately calculating the property damage caused by the fire and completing the review and resolution process.

On the 24th, Mayor Kang Gi-jung stated on his Facebook, "Do firefighters have to pay for the repair of front doors after entering a villa to save residents?" and added, "There is no reason for that. The administration will take responsibility." He also emphasized, "We will ensure that firefighters can focus on rescue operations without worrying about compensation."

Currently, the Bukbu Fire Station is accepting compensation applications from affected residents. At the same time, numerous inquiries about donating repair costs have been received. Since the 23rd, there have been a total of 17 inquiries from individuals and organizations offering to donate. Among them were offers to pay the entire repair cost of about 5 million won, as well as students who collected donations with friends. There was also a company that wanted to donate nutritional supplements for the firefighters working on site.

A fire department official stated, "We have decided not to accept donations since compensation will be made using the Gwangju Fire Headquarters budget," and added, "We will proceed with the compensation process quickly." He also clarified, "Some reports suggested that residents made excessive compensation demands, but that is not true."

Meanwhile, online commenters who read the article responded, "It's unreasonable for firefighters to have to pay for doors after saving lives," "Institutional improvements are needed," "Firefighters should be able to focus on rescue work without worrying about compensation," and "It was a good move for Gwangju city to quickly take responsibility."

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