▲ 119 Foreign Language Interpretation Volunteer Appointment Ceremony and Briefing

The Chungnam Fire Service Headquarters has teamed up with 119 foreign language interpretation volunteers to provide tailored firefighting and emergency services for foreign residents in the province.

On the 25th, the Headquarters held the "Second Half of 2025 119 Foreign Language Interpretation Volunteer Appointment Ceremony and Briefing" in the Provincial Office’s small conference room, further solidifying the cooperative foundation for innovating fire services targeted at foreign nationals.

The event was attended by 25 participants, including fire officials and current volunteers. Among them were six volunteers being reappointed as their three-year terms expire on the 31st of next month. Together, they discussed strategies to expand interpretation support in response to the increasing number of emergency calls from foreign residents.

Over the past five years, these volunteers have supported 390 emergency calls across 13 languages, including Russian, playing a pivotal role in establishing a safety net for foreign nationals.

Key successes this year include a swift response to a fire in Yeonmu-eup, Nonsan, where an interpreter helped pinpoint a difficult-to-locate site, leading to a quick extinguishment. Volunteers also played crucial roles in life-saving operations, such as rescuing a person attempting suicide in Dunpo-myeon, Asan, and facilitating the emergency hospital transfer of an expectant mother in Deuksan-dong, Asan. Their contributions span the full spectrum of fire service activities—from firefighting to search and rescue and emergency medical services.

Moving forward, the Fire Service Headquarters plans to continue seeking ways to improve the challenges of three-way interpretation identified during this and other regular briefings. They aim to expand the interpretation infrastructure to provide even better public safety services.

Through regular communication and cooperation, we will strengthen the organic system with our interpretation volunteers, said Seong Ho-seon, Head of the Fire Service Headquarters. "We will do our utmost to create a community where everyone can feel safe."

Department in Charge: 119 Comprehensive Situation Room, Fire Service Headquarters

Phone Number: 041-635-5661