“Firefighters’ personnel costs should be covered by the state”: Kim Jae-seop proposes the “Firefighters’ State Responsibility Act”

[Financial News] A bill called the “Firefighters’ State Responsibility Act,” which would have the state directly cover the personnel costs of firefighting officials, was introduced on the 19th. Firefighting officials became national civil servants in April 2020, but local governments still bear most of their personnel costs. Critics have warned that the stability of fire service funding could therefore vary depending on local governments’ fiscal conditions; the bill aims to address this problem.
Kim Jae-seop, a People Power Party lawmaker, submitted an amendment to the Act on Firefighting Finance Support and the Establishment of Special Accounts for City and Provincial Fire Services to the National Assembly’s Bill Division that day. The amendment is intended to establish a legal basis for covering firefighting officials’ personnel costs through the national government’s general account.
As of 2022, the national government’s share of the approximately 4.9 trillion won in personnel costs for firefighting officials was just 9.8%, in the form of the Fire Safety Grant Tax. The remaining 90.2% was borne by local governments. This is why critics say the shift to national civil servant status was merely cosmetic.
Under this arrangement, firefighting officials who risk their lives and serve the country to protect the lives and property of the public are sometimes regarded as a burden on local finances. Differences in local governments’ fiscal conditions could also affect the working conditions of firefighting officials. Critics warn that this could lower their morale and say it makes the shift to national civil servant status—which was intended to strengthen the state’s responsibility and close gaps in fire services between regions—meaningless.
Kim Jae-seop stressed, “Firefighting officials who risk their lives and rush to the scene to save people’s lives must not be treated as a financial burden,” adding, “The state will fulfill its responsibility so that firefighting officials can focus solely on protecting the lives and safety of the public.”
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter