Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters Launch 'Recovery Support Notifier' Service

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] A new welfare service is launching in which firefighters dispatched to fire, rescue, and emergency scenes will connect residents in crisis due to livelihood concerns to the 'Emergency Welfare Hotline.'

Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 6th that they will begin the 'Recovery Support Notifier' service containing these provisions starting this month.

The Emergency Welfare Hotline is a welfare-specialized consultation channel of Gyeonggi Province that allows people to report or consult about their own difficulties or those of neighbors in crisis, established following the 'Suwon Three Mothers Incident' in August 2022, where residents in a welfare blind spot passed away.

The service consists of four channels: the Emergency Welfare Hotline (010-4419-7722), the Emergency Welfare Crisis Consultation Call Center (031-120), Gyeonggi G-Talk, and the Gyeonggi Province Emergency Welfare website. When anyone experiencing difficulties or concerned about a neighbor contacts these channels, support is provided including guidance on welfare programs and assistance in accessing available benefits.

The Gyeonggi Fire Service established the 'Recovery Support Notifier' system linking firefighting operations with the Emergency Welfare Hotline, recognizing that some residents may not be aware of or unable to use these welfare programs, leaving them in blind spots.

Accordingly, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters has designated all firefighters and volunteer firefighters as recovery support notifiers.

These recovery support notifiers will report residents found in welfare blind spots at scenes to coordinators designated per fire station, who will then connect them to the Emergency Welfare Hotline. The Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to designate team leader-level recovery support notifier coordinators at each fire station.

The recovery support notifier coordinators will work with the Emergency Welfare Hotline and coordinate with the Fire Damage Resident Support Center operated by firefighting services and the 'Warm Companionship Gyeonggi 119 System' to ensure more comprehensive support.

The Fire Damage Resident Support Center is a public-private partnership program that provides disaster recovery support to residents suffering mental and property damage from fires. The 'Warm Companionship Gyeonggi 119' system uses funds generated through voluntary participation of Gyeonggi Province firefighters and volunteer firefighters to assist neighbors facing financial hardship.

Meanwhile, the Province reported that as a result of operating the 'Emergency Welfare Hotline' since August 2022 to identify residents in crisis, consultation inquiries exceeded 10,000 last month, marking one year and six months of operation.

Oh Byung-kwon, first vice governor of the Province, said, "Firefighters performing frontline fire suppression and rescue operations taking on the role of discovering welfare blind spots will be a great asset," and added, "Through organic cooperation between the Fire and Disaster Headquarters and the Emergency Welfare Hotline, we have been able to establish a more comprehensive and secure welfare safety net."