A South Korean firefighter with 35 years of experience shares her thoughts and struggles about the profession. She highlights the dangers and stress of the job, the lack of understanding and appreciation from the public, and the inadequate support from the government. She notes that firefighters often have to deal with non-emergency situations, such as handling drunk individuals, and that they face risks even when performing seemingly simple tasks. The firefighter also discusses the issue of understaffing, inadequate equipment, and the need for better compensation and benefits. She shares a personal story about a colleague who died after being physically and verbally abused by a drunk person, and how the government did not recognize it as a death in the line of duty. The firefighter emphasizes the need for change in the fire department system and for the public to understand and support their work.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker has been working at fire stations for over 35 years.
2. The speaker was part of the first cohort to join the fire department via open recruitment outside the capital.
3. This was during the fifth republic when Chun Doo-hwan was the president.
4. Women were recruited to the fire department to tackle corruption embedded in the fire department's civil administrations.
5. For 10 years, the speaker was one of only 1 or 2 women in the entire department.
6. Today, there are many female firefighters.
7. Fire prevention has become a more frequent task for firefighters.
8. Firefighters often face disasters never seen before, such as fallen trees or store signs.
9. The area where the speaker's fire station is located has the highest number of bars and clubs in Iksan city.
10. Dealing with drunk people takes up a significant part of the paramedics' work.
11. The speaker's staff usually do not like to be interviewed because one mistake can get them into trouble.
12. Firefighters are required to make an in-person apology or de-escalate issues with complainants on their own.
13. Until a few years ago, firefighters had to compensate for damages, such as broken windows, out of their own expenses.
14. Now, insurance plans cover these expenses.
15. Firefighters have limits on having insurance, such as higher premiums due to their high-risk environment.
16. The standard for the number of firefighters on a team is four on a pumper truck, two on a water tank, and three on an ambulance.
17. However, the speaker's team currently has only seven firefighters, lacking two people according to the standard.
18. Firefighters need four people on a pumper truck: one in the engine room, two for rescue, and one for cover.
19. In the past, firefighters shared personal safety equipment.
20. It was only a few years ago that they started receiving personal safety equipment.
21. Last year, one of the speaker's staff passed away due to physical and verbal abuse from a drunk person.
22. The staff member's death was not considered a death at their post.
23. In 2012, one of the speaker's staff passed away while trying to save a worker trapped in a water tank.
24. Fire Marshal Kang passed away in April while being treated for bleeding at the cerebral artery caused by attacks from a drunk person while working as a paramedic.
25. Her death was not considered a death at her post.
26. Marshal Kang's husband is also a firefighter.
27. The speaker's team worked with Marshal Kang and went to the scene together.
28. Marshal Kang was awarded a "Heart Saver" certificate for saving lives whose heart was marked stopped by a machine.
29. 98.7% of fire department staff in South Korea work under local governments.
30. There are huge gaps in staff numbers, equipment, and facilities due to differences in local governments' budgets.