A firefighter rests on the curb after putting out a fire at a shopping complex in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Friday. Starting April 2020, firefighters' status will be upgraded to national public servants to improve their working conditions. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



All firefighters will become national public servants directly hired by the central government starting next April in a bid to improve their working conditions and wages, following the National Assembly's passage of a relevant bill, Tuesday.



So far, most firefighters have been treated as local government civil servants. As of late August, there were 54,875 firefighters nationwide, and 98.7 percent of them were under local government jurisdiction, while only 1.3 percent were employed by the central government, mostly those at the National Fire Agency (NFA).



Local governments have relatively insufficient budgets compared to the central one, and a shortage of funds has led to poor working conditions and a lack of equipment, with some jurisdictions worse off than others.



With the revision, all firefighters will be treated as national civil servants and get equal support from the central government in terms of equipment and wages.



Despite the change in status, the regional fire agencies under city and provincial governments will have the authority to supervise and direct the firefighters in principle, but in cases of national emergencies such as large fires or natural disasters, the director of the NFA will take over control by supervising the heads of regional agencies.



The NFA will continue revising regulations until March so the status change can be applied starting April.



Upgrading firefighters' status was one of President Moon Jae-in's main campaign pledges and he has raised the issue several times since taking office in 2017.



Before Moon was eected, the issue had been brought up for discussion at the National Assembly numerous times to no avail. A tragic fire helicopter crash in 2014, which killed five firefighters, revealed their poor working conditions and outdated equipment. The helicopter crashed because of a malfunction and this led to a national and bipartisan consensus that there was a need to improve firefighters' working conditions and improve their job status.



President Moon welcomed the passage of the bill but also apologized for the delay in the legislation, while thanking firefighters for their devotion and sacrifices.



"The transfer of firefighters' status to national public servants was not only the wish of firefighters but also the whole nation," President Moon wrote on social media, Wednesday. "The change is a new beginning. Now there will be no regional disparity in public safety, and the central government will be at the center in dealing with disasters."

