Seungryong Kim, National Fire Agency Commissioner: "Switching to a 'Negative List' Regulatory Approach... Expanding Advanced Equipment"

Eighteen Additional Unmanned Firefighting Robots to Be Deployed Over the Next Two Years
Central Center’s Role to Be Enhanced to Prevent Delays in Emergency Room Transfers

The National Fire Agency will completely shift its regulatory framework for fire prevention to a "negative list" approach. This means that all activities will be permitted except for those explicitly prohibited by law.

On April 27 in Sejong City, Seungryong Kim, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, held a press briefing and stated, "We are exploring ways to transition the regulatory framework for fire prevention to a negative list system in collaboration with the fire industry and experts."

Seungryong Kim, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency.

This policy aims to guarantee the autonomy of companies operating in the firefighting sector and to accelerate the adoption of new technologies. By allowing everything except what is clearly prohibited by law, the agency plans to eliminate rigid, one-size-fits-all regulations that do not reflect on-site realities, thereby revitalizing the firefighting industry.

The National Fire Agency will launch a "Fire Prevention Regulatory Rationalization Task Force," composed of experts from academia, industry, and research. Major fire safety laws, such as the Fire Facilities Act and the Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act, will be thoroughly reviewed from the ground up to remove unnecessary administrative regulations and to improve systems so that companies can take responsible leadership in safety management.

Additionally, in response to a recent series of large factory fires, the agency will enhance its preventive inspection system. Instead of inspections conducted solely by fire stations, the agency is considering reorganizing the system into a pan-governmental joint inspection involving related agencies such as architecture, electricity, and gas. This joint inspection system is expected to allow for a more precise elimination of complex risk factors across entire buildings.

Commissioner Kim also expressed a strong commitment to actively operate "119 Air Ambulances," which rapidly transport patients over long distances by helicopter and other means. The National Fire Agency currently operates 33 air ambulances nationwide.

In particular, since essential infrastructure such as neonatal intensive care units is concentrated in the greater Seoul area, resulting in repeated delays in transferring mothers from regional areas, the agency plans to make active use of air ambulances to address this issue.

The agency will also significantly strengthen the control tower function of the "Central 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center" by increasing its personnel and authority to prevent delays in emergency room transfers. If a regional center is unable to find an available hospital, the central center will immediately step in to coordinate with medical institutions nationwide that can accept patients.

Reference photo of an unmanned fire-fighting robot.

Furthermore, the agency will expand equipment based on advanced technologies to strengthen response capabilities at sites where it is difficult for personnel to access.

Over the next two years, 18 additional unmanned firefighting robots will be deployed, with plans to gradually expand their use to fire headquarters in all metropolitan and provincial areas nationwide in the mid- to long-term.

The large-capacity foam spraying systems, currently used in large oil tank fires, will be deployed more widely to the Honam region and the greater Seoul area. The agency also plans to transition to an advanced response system focused on responder safety by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and robots.

Regarding the recent factory fire in Wando, Jeollanam-do, a joint investigation team of 26 experts is currently conducting a detailed analysis. The team is thoroughly examining the special combustion characteristics of sandwich panel structures and the appropriateness of on-site command to develop fundamental institutional improvements.

Commissioner Kim stated, "We will accelerate the introduction of advanced equipment that can guarantee the safety of on-site responders," and added, "We will establish a comprehensive safety net so that everyone in the country can receive optimal emergency medical services anywhere, nationwide."

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