The National Fire Agency of Korea, led by Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong, announced that it is operating a nationwide integrated emergency transfer system to ensure timely medical care for high-risk pregnant women, newborns, and critically ill emergency patients.

Centered on the Central 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Center, the system coordinates the entire emergency transfer process, from identifying the most appropriate hospital based on a patient’s condition to determining the optimal mode of transport. The National Fire Agency is also operating an integrated dispatch system for 119 air ambulances, allowing fire helicopters to be deployed across regional boundaries when urgent long-distance transfers are required.

The Agency recently strengthened its national-level transfer system to address delays in emergency room admissions and to ensure that patients can be connected to available advanced medical care beyond city and provincial borders.

Under the system, the Central 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Center and the 119 Aviation Control Office serve as control towers, coordinating with regional fire departments, medical institutions, and relevant health authorities.

Rapid Ground Ambulance Response

On April 28, at around 4 a.m., a mother who had just given birth at an obstetrics clinic in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, showed symptoms suspected to be amniotic fluid embolism, including decreased consciousness and massive bleeding.

Immediately after the emergency call was received, the Central 119 emergency coordination system was activated. Based on an assessment of the patient’s condition, an urgent transfer to a tertiary hospital in Seoul was arranged.

An ambulance team from the Namyangju Fire Station began emergency treatment at the scene and transported the patient while continuing professional medical care. After the patient was first transferred to a nearby hospital with medical staff on board and her vital signs were stabilized, she was rapidly connected to a tertiary hospital capable of providing definitive treatment.

On May 3, a foreign national pregnant woman in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, who had not received regular prenatal care, developed urgent symptoms. As local hospitals were unable to accept the patient, the Chungbuk Fire Service Headquarters requested support from the Central 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Center.

The Center worked with nationwide emergency medical coordination centers and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s maternal and neonatal care network to identify an available hospital. A university hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, was selected, and the patient was safely transferred through interregional coordination.

Emergency Air Ambulance Operations

On April 23, a newborn in Jeju, only one day after birth, was in critical condition due to cardiac stenosis and required urgent transfer to Seoul.

The 119 Aviation Control Office immediately activated the national integrated fire helicopter dispatch system. As fire helicopters in Jeju and the Jeolla region were unavailable due to maintenance and other missions, the nearest available 119 air ambulance from the Busan Fire Service Headquarters was deployed. The helicopter flew approximately 1,100 kilometers to transfer the newborn to Seoul, where the patient was promptly handed over to a hospital through close coordination with ground ambulance teams.

On April 29, a pregnant woman in Incheon at 29 weeks of pregnancy experienced premature rupture of membranes and required long-distance transfer. Under the centralized response system, a hospital in Daegu was secured. As ground ambulance transport was deemed difficult due to the distance, a 119 air ambulance from the Incheon Fire Service Headquarters was immediately dispatched.

The air ambulance transported the patient to Daegu Airport, where she was safely handed over to a local ambulance team and transferred to the hospital. Definitive treatment was provided approximately four hours and 30 minutes after the emergency call was received.

Commissioner’s Statement

“The nationwide integrated transfer system centered on the Central 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Center is more than a transport mechanism. It is a national life-protection system that connects patients with the most appropriate medical treatment,” said Kim Seung-ryong, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency.

“We will continue to strengthen the Central 119 emergency coordination system and the integrated 119 air ambulance dispatch system so that high-risk mothers and critically ill emergency patients can receive optimal treatment within the golden time, wherever they are in the country,” he added.