Gwonseon-gu Completes Recruitment of 26 Forest Fire Watchers and Firefighters

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Gwonseon-gu in Suwon announced on the 28th that it has completed the recruitment of 26 forest fire watchers and professional forest fire prevention and firefighting teams (hereinafter referred to as forest fire firefighters) for spring forest fire prevention period (February 1 to May 15, 2020) to prevent forest fires in advance and respond quickly to initial stages of fires.

Forest fire firefighters are selected through the 2020 direct job creation project with financial support from the Korea Forest Service and must have no disqualifying factors according to selection criteria. Priority is given to experienced workers and job-vulnerable groups during selection to provide more citizens with opportunities to participate in the job creation project.

Application submissions were received in two phases, and written and practical tests were conducted on the 22nd. The written test covered basic knowledge questions on forest fire prevention and firefighting. The practical test assessed physical fitness and equipment handling abilities. The 26 forest fire firefighters were selected based on the highest combined scores from all test items.

The selected forest fire firefighters will be concentrated in forest areas of 570 hectares including Chilbo-san Mountain in Gwonseon-gu, access roads to 8 hiking trails covering 12.1 kilometers during the forest fire prevention period. They will conduct fire prevention surveillance and patrols, implement various forest fire prevention awareness campaigns, and carry out firefighting activities.

Gil Young-bae, head of Gwonseon-gu Office, said, "We appreciate the keen interest and participation in the recruitment of forest fire firefighters. We will continuously conduct patrols during the spring forest fire prevention period and implement preventive measures to address the causes of forest fires in advance, thereby preserving our green forests."