A Study on the Improvement of South Korea’s Volunteer Fire Brigade System through the Case of the US

Abstract

Research on the development of volunteer firefighter systems has highlighted limitations of the South Korean system. These are categorized by a lack of community disaster safety service activities, disaster response cooperation networks, and support to revitalize volunteer firefighters. The US has 676,900 (65%) volunteer firefighters, and their qualifications are similar to full-time firefighters. The National Volunteer Fire Council is self-reliant, and plays practical roles for volunteer firefighters. Various grant programs for volunteer fire brigades are active. Based on the US case, implications for developing Korea’s system include recruiting young talent for sustainability, improving practical education and training systems, strengthening support for volunteer firefighters’ activities, and developing centralized standardization and support programs.