Firefighters in Field Duties Exempted from Asset Registration…Gyeonggi Province's Policy Improvement Advocacy Bears Fruit

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Going forward, firefighters of the rank of Fire Official and Fire Lieutenant who are engaged exclusively in field duties such as fire suppression and rescue and emergency medical services will no longer be required to file asset registration as civil servants.

This comes as the policy improvement proposal on asset registration that Gyeonggi Province has persistently pursued for over a year, visiting various government departments since early last year, has been accepted.

According to the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters on the 31st, the Ministry of Personnel Management will enforce the 'Partial Amendment Decree of Public Officials Ethics Act' adjusting the scope of firefighters subject to asset registration obligations from June 4.

The key amendments show that firefighters of the rank of Fire Official and Fire Lieutenant who perform only field duties such as fire suppression and rescue and emergency medical services, as well as situation management duties such as the 119 Integrated Situation Room, will be exempted from asset registration obligations. Until now, all firefighters of rank Fire Lieutenant (equivalent to civil service grade 7) and above have been required to file asset registration as a matter of obligation. Accordingly, concerns have been raised that imposing asset registration obligations on lower-ranking firefighters engaged solely in field activities and situation management duties constitutes an excessive burden relative to their authority.

Furthermore, momentum grew for revision as fire inspection duties previously conducted at 119 Safety Centers were transferred to the Fire Investigation Task Force, and the scope of 119 Safety Centers' duties was adjusted to disaster scene response. Accordingly, the Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters began submitting proposals for improvement of the firefighter asset registration system to the Ministry of Personnel Management in February of last year, and has continuously visited the National Assembly and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission over the past year to urge policy improvements.

At last, the Ministry of Personnel Management accepted this and conducted legislative public notice of amendments to the 'Public Officials Ethics Act Decree' in March of this year. With the amendment to the Public Officials Ethics Act Decree, a total of 2,932 firefighters in the province—including 1,551 Fire Officials and 1,381 Fire Lieutenants—will be exempted from asset registration obligations. As a result, the number of those subject to asset registration obligations will be reduced from the current 5,167 to 2,235, a decrease of more than half (56.7%). However, those who leave field duties will be required to file asset registration again, and employment screening will continue to apply to all firefighters of rank Fire Lieutenant and above as currently practiced.