○ Overall safety and effectiveness enhanced through accident prevention for firefighters and extended lifetime of projectiles
– Improvement in terms of administration, from needle point to side, as well as substantial enhancement in anesthesia safety with drug administered to muscle layer even when hitting bone or joint of animal
– Supplied to three fire stations that frequently use tranquilizers, including Yongin Fire Station

The Gyeonggi Province fire department has successfully improved the safety and effectiveness of tranquilizer guns used for rescuing animals by developing a rechargeable compressed-gas type tranquilizer gun from a traditional firearm version.

On December 7, the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced that three stations, including the Yongin Fire Station, which report the highest number of wildlife rescues (including dogs, boars, and water deer) are now using the new rechargeable compressed gas-type tranquilizer gun. The device was developed by Jung Hee-soo, head of the Fire Audit Division.

Animal tranquilizers are administered via a projectile that contains an anesthesia. The traditional approach of propelling the projectile with a gunpowder charge had several drawbacks, such as a decrease in projectile lifetime due to gunpowder degradation, as well as accidental discharges in extreme cases.

The new rechargeable compressed-gas device uses the pressure from compressed gas to propel the tranquilizer. This new system prevents accidents, lengthens the lifetime of the tranquilizer projectiles, and reduces outlays for gunpowder rounds, thereby improving safety and efficiency. In addition, the improved version of the tranquilizer needle has seen the administering apertures moved from the point to the side. Moreover, unlike the previous projectiles, the new version does not cause any issues when encountering bones or joints; additional apertures found on the side of the projectile needle ensure that the tranquilizer penetrates muscle tissue (see picture).

To date, 30 of the new tranquilizer guns have been supplied to three fire stations in the Gyeonggi Province with the highest number of wildlife reports: Yongin Fire Station, Anseong Fire Station, and Paju Fire Station.

Cho Sun-ho, Vice Chief of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “We plan to distribute the [new tranquilizer guns] to more fire stations to ensure the safe rescue of animals… With the newly developed technology transferred to private companies, we don’t foresee any problems with supply.”