• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.157-172
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• 2024

Purpose: Ensuring prompt and consistent 119 emergency services for all citizens is crucial and requires every region to adhere to prescribed deployment standards Methods: This study assessed the compliance with 119 emergency resource deployment standards in 229 districts (si-gun-gu) by analyzing data from 18 fire headquarters as of December 31, 2022. Results: At the Sigun-gu level, 16 areas (7%) did not meet the fire station standards. Among the 229 si-gun-gu, 25 (10.9%) failed operational ambulance standards, and 114 (49.8%) did not meet the 119 first responder standards. Areas lacking fire station standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and higher elderly and single-person elderly household proportions (p<.05). Areas not meeting ambulance standards had lower proportions of these populations, but higher financial self-sufficiency. In addition, areas that did not meet the 119 first-responder standards had greater financial autonomy (p<.05). Areas meeting only basic fire station standards had higher proportions of elderly and single-person households and lower financial self-sufficiency. Areas meeting only ambulance standards had lower financial autonomy, whereas those meeting only emergency medical technician standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and a higher elderly proportions (p<.05). Conclusion: Si-gun-gu, with a large elderly population and poor finances, often fails to meet fire station standards and meets only the basic criteria. Continuous monitoring and targeted management are crucial for reducing disparities in 119 resource allocation and improving the overall deployment.