Ulsan fire department to upgrade vehicles, advanced equipment

Amid growing public attention to fire department funding and firefighter safety, the Ulsan Fire Headquarters has moved to procure wildfire suppression vehicles and unmanned firefighting robots to strengthen fire suppression capabilities and protect the safety of its personnel.

The headquarters announced Wednesday at a press conference at the Ulsan City Hall press center that it has earmarked 6.72 billion won ($5.07 million) in its 2027 base budget — comprising 4.515 billion won in national funds and 2.205 billion won in municipal funds — to upgrade essential firefighting equipment. The allocation represents a 35.76 percent increase from the previous year's base budget of 4.95 billion won.

Of that total, 3.15 billion won will go toward purchasing one wildfire suppression vehicle valued at 750 million won and one unmanned firefighting robot valued at 2.4 billion won. An additional 3.57 billion won will be used to replace three aging pump trucks, two rescue buses, two fire investigation vehicles and seven aging ambulances.

The wildfire suppression vehicle is equipped with four-wheel drive and off-road capability, allowing it to operate efficiently in forested terrain that conventional fire trucks cannot reach. The unmanned firefighting robot can be deployed remotely to fire scenes where extreme heat, explosion risks or structural collapse make it too dangerous for firefighters to enter.

Once in service, the new equipment is expected to support suppression operations at national industrial complexes — where large-scale hazardous facilities are concentrated — as well as at emerging fire types such as electric vehicle fires, reducing firefighters' exposure to danger.

The 3.57 billion won earmarked for aging vehicle replacements covers 14 units across four categories: three pump trucks, two rescue buses, two fire investigation vehicles and seven ambulances.

Specifically, 1.47 billion won will go toward replacing pump trucks to ensure a stable water supply and suppression operations at fire scenes, while 440 million won will fund new rescue buses to enable the swift and safe transport of rescue personnel and equipment.

Another 400 million won will fund replacement fire investigation vehicles to support stable command operations and fire investigation work at disaster scenes, and 1.26 billion won will be spent on new ambulances to improve the transport environment for emergency patients and enhance the reliability of 119 emergency medical services.

Once the budget is finalized, the headquarters plans to draw up a procurement plan in the first half of 2027, proceed with bidding and contracting, and deploy the vehicles and equipment in the second half of the year, along with user training to ensure smooth operation of the new equipment.

"Ulsan has many disaster-prone areas where national industrial complexes are concentrated and forests are adjacent to residential zones, making the expansion of advanced firefighting equipment and the replacement of aging vehicles urgent," said Kim Yong-su, chief of the Ulsan Fire Headquarters. "We structured the budget to draw on national funding and other state resources to reduce the burden on local finances while protecting the safety of both citizens and firefighters."