For those who are always one call away
There are people who dash through flames and caves of dust, they throw themselves out of windows, and they run toward—not away from—burning buildings. They do all this, not for themselves, but for others. We call these heroes firefighters. Then did we ever have an opportunity to honor and pay tribute to these heroes working for us? If I could make one national holiday in Korea, I would make ‘Firefighter’s day’ for those who are always one call away.
Some might wonder whether we need a national holiday to thank firefighters since the UN has already designated May 4 as ‘International Firefighters Day’. But many people, especially in the Republic of Korea, are unaware of this special day, which honors firefighters around the world for their extraordinary commitment and sacrifice. Also, in Korea, November 9 is recognized as Firefighting Day, but it is used mainly to raise awareness about safety rules related to fire accidents, and it gets relatively little attention in the media.
If Firefighter’s Day were designated as a national holiday, during which all employees were given a break from their work, it would provide an opportunity for citizens to honor these heroes who put themselves at risk to protect the community. Additionally, this special holiday would remind citizens of the importance of firefighters and guide the generation to the value of them.
It is critical to encourage every member of the community to understand and appreciate the heroism of firefighters. Who else is willing to risk severe injury or even death to save some they don’t even know? Most of us cannot imagine ever doing this ourselves. Yet firefighters do it every day. They are always in a state of readiness, just a call away, to give us a hand.
Sadly, death is rather common among firefighters. According to one report, the death rate among firefighters is three times higher than that for public officials, and approximately four fighters die on the job each year in Korea. So, we need a special day also to commemorate all the firefighters who have died for our safety. We do have ‘Memorial Day’ to acknowledge the sacrifices of the soldiers who died during the Korean War and in other significant battles, but there is no comp arable holiday to remember and pay tribute to the sacrifices of the firefighters who protect us. Specifically, on that day, a memorial ceremony is held and at 10 a.m. a siren rings all over the country, which then people silently pray for one minute for the remembrance of the ones sacrificed. Similar actions must be held for the memorial of the firefighters who died in the line of duty.
There are already many national holidays in Korea—perhaps too many. The intention or purpose of each holiday should be carefully reconsidered, and ones that are not so important may need to be downgraded from national holidays to less significant celebrations. At the same time, Firefighter’s Day should be designated as a national holiday in Korea and should coincide with International Firefighters’ Day. Doing so would provide an opportunity for the whole community to show respect for these heroes who live by the motto “First in, Last out.