Gyeonggi Province Appoints 28 Foreign Workers as Honorary Fire Officers

Gyeonggi Province held a ceremony on May 8 at the Gyeonggi Government Complex to appoint a number of foreign workers residing in the province as honorary fire officers. This was done as part of an initiative to boost awareness of fire safety among foreign workers.

The appointed honorary fire officers will serve as fire safety promoters at cultural centers for foreign residents, as well as at conventions. A total of 28 foreign workers from seven nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, were appointed as honorary fire officers.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo presented the unprecedented Appointment Plaques and expressed the sincere confidence of the province in its foreign workers.

The number of foreign residents of Gyeonggi Province is now 214,727 foreign workers number 116,794, accounting for 54% of all foreign residents. Residents from Northeast and Southeast Asia account for 81% of all foreign residents, and Ansan City has the largest number of foreign residents at 19,642. Hwaseong City is also home to a substantial number of foreign residents at 12,959, while Suwon City has 9,970.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Firefighting & Disaster Headquarters (Head: Choi Jin-jong), the organizer of the honorary fire officer appointment ceremony, intends to pursue a goal of “Borderless Safety” by appointing foreign workers, who had previously been neglected due to language and cultural barriers, as honorary fire officers, to assist in the safeguarding of foreign residents.

The honorary fire officers visited the Gyeonggi-do Fire Service Academy, where they completed their Fire Safety Training. They learned how to make emergency calls, what actions to take in case of emergency, first-aid procedures including CPR, and how to use a fire extinguisher; such training will enable them to respond promptly in the event of a fire at their workplaces.

An official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Firefighting & Disaster Headquarters said, “I expect that the appointment of these honorary fire officers will improve the fire-safety awareness of foreign workers. Our headquarters will continuously support these honorary fire officers by upgrading their skills through regular training.”