"Nearest Helicopter First"... National Integrated Dispatch System for Firefighting Helicopters to Be Implemented

Introduction of the "National Integrated Dispatch System for Firefighting Helicopters"
Average Dispatch Time Reduced by 13 Minutes...
Full Implementation Including Seoul

Starting next year, the "National Integrated Dispatch System for Firefighting Helicopters," which ensures that the nearest firefighting helicopter is immediately dispatched to any accident site nationwide, will be fully implemented.

According to the National Fire Agency on December 8, this system establishes a unified nationwide dispatch and control framework for firefighting helicopters. Until now, the helicopter dispatch system operated based on jurisdictional areas managed by each city and province. Going forward, the National Fire Agency’s flight control center will directly oversee, coordinate, and control all helicopters across the country, taking into account helicopter deployment, mission characteristics, and distance.

Fire and Disaster Headquarters' mountain accident fire helicopter rescue operation. Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters

The National Fire Agency expects that shifting from a jurisdiction-based approach to the principle of dispatching the nearest and most suitable helicopter will eliminate dispatch gaps, enhance flight safety, and enable more efficient allocation of resources nationwide.

Pilot operations of the integrated dispatch system, conducted from April 2023 to July this year, showed that average dispatch times were reduced by 13.2 minutes and average travel distances by 40 kilometers compared to the previous jurisdiction-based method. In the most significant case, travel time was shortened by 52 minutes and travel distance by 156 kilometers.

Operational efficiency also improved, with reductions in fuel and maintenance costs due to shorter flight distances. A satisfaction survey among aviation crew and flight management personnel revealed high ratings for necessity (97.5%), safety (97.5%), and the effectiveness of dispatches outside traditional jurisdictions (100%).

The National Fire Agency verified the effectiveness of the system through a partial pilot project covering 12 cities and provinces in the southern Chungcheong region. Based on these results, it is preparing to expand the integrated dispatch system to additional areas, including Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon. Through advance training, the agency aims to ensure stable implementation of the system before the wildfire prevention season and plans to fully transition to a nationally led system overhaul starting in March 2026.

Kim Seungryong, Acting Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, stated, "The full-scale overhaul of the national integrated dispatch system for firefighting helicopters is an institutional reorganization to enhance public safety and the efficiency of aerial firefighting missions. We expect it will help secure the golden hour at sites with poor accessibility, such as for emergency patients or in mountainous and island regions."

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