National Fire Agency Activates Central Emergency Rescue and Control Headquarters in Four Regions Including Seoul and Gangwon

Swift Deployment of Firefighting Forces... All-Out Response Initiated
304 Personnel on Emergency Duty across 11 Metropolitan Regions
Enhanced Monitoring of Riverbanks, Landslide-Prone and High-Risk Areas

The National Fire Agency preemptively activated the Central Emergency Rescue and Control Headquarters at 4:30 a.m. on July 18, following the issuance of heavy rain warnings in four metropolitan areas and provinces: Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon.

The headquarters is led by the acting commissioner of the National Fire Agency, with the director of the 119 Response Bureau serving as the deputy. It consists of the Situation Countermeasures Team, the Emergency Response Team, and the On-site Situation Management Team, among others.

The National Fire Agency plans to comprehensively manage flood damage and firefighting responses in real time and will mobilize necessary firefighting forces swiftly to areas at risk of casualties, aiming to respond with its full capabilities.

Earlier on the same day, the agency held an emergency situation assessment meeting on heavy rain preparedness, presided over by Choi Yongcheol, Acting Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, to urgently review the nationwide firefighting response status.

With heavy rain advisories and warnings issued nationwide, strong downpours are expected to continue at various times throughout the day. As of 6 a.m., rain is falling at a rate of around 40 to 50 millimeters per hour, particularly in the capital region and Gangwon Province.

On the 18th, an emergency response situation assessment meeting was held, presided over by Acting Commissioner Choi Yongchul of the National Fire Agency, to check the nationwide fire response status in preparation for heavy rain. Provided by the National Fire Agency

This meeting was organized to promptly identify regional damages and response statuses, and to proactively address additional risks.

During the meeting, the agency reviewed firefighting activities related to heavy rainfall by region and discussed response measures based on the precipitation outlook. The on-site response system was thoroughly checked for risk situations that could lead to casualties, particularly river flooding, roadway and residential inundations, landslides, and isolation of residents.

The agency also reviewed operational plans for high-capacity pump systems to prepare for possible large-scale flooding. Currently, the equipment is forward-deployed to the Chungcheong and Gangwon 119 Special Rescue Teams. The National Fire Agency announced it would perform comprehensive analyses of weather conditions and regional risk factors to promptly dispatch equipment and personnel to areas of greatest need.

At present, the fire headquarters of 11 regions—Seoul, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Sejong, Gyeonggi (both North and South), Gangwon, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang—are operating heavy rain response task forces, with a total of 304 personnel on emergency duty.

Fire headquarters in each city and province are monitoring weather conditions and damage information in real time and are strengthening surveillance and situation management for areas prone to casualties, such as riverbanks, low-lying areas, and regions at risk of landslides.

Citizens are walking with umbrellas at Doosan Five-way Intersection in Suseong District, Daegu. July 17, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

Acting Commissioner Choi emphasized, "Torrential rains, even within a short period, can cause fatal casualties due to river flooding, inundation, and landslides. Please pay close attention to weather conditions and make every effort to manage situations in areas under heavy rain warnings."

He further stressed, "Put the utmost priority on the lives and safety of the public, and maintain a vigilant and thorough response posture to ensure that all actions—from receiving emergency calls to rescue and relief operations—are carried out swiftly and without gaps."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.