South Korean fire stations contract inspections below standard fees

An analysis of data from the National Fire Agency reveals that nearly half of the fire stations in South Korea that outsourced their facility inspections contracted services at rates below the established standard. Out of 176 fire stations nationwide, 83 (47.2%) signed contracts for less than 70% of the standard self-inspection fee. Notably, 29 stations contracted services for less than half of the recommended amount.

The standard self-inspection fee is designed to prevent substandard inspections caused by low-cost bidding. Under current regulations, any facility that contracts for less than 70% of this standard is prioritized for fire safety investigations. This means that if applied to the fire stations themselves, more than four in ten stations would be subject to priority investigation.

Regional discrepancies were significant. In Gyeonggi Province, 11 out of 24 stations fell below the 70% threshold, with the Uiwang Fire Station recording a rate of only 27.7%. In Incheon, the National Safety Experience Center contracted at 28.6% of the standard. Conversely, some stations exceeded the standard, such as the Incheon Fire Academy Second Campus, which reached 164.1%.

The National Fire Agency attributed the issue to local government budget cycles and stated that all fire stations will reflect the standard fees by next year. Representative Yang Bu-nam criticized the findings, stating that fire authorities cannot demand compliance from others while failing to follow their own established standards.