Busan Fire Department, South Korea While Wesley and Lavinia manage to participate in the Rotterdam Archive session,

Muein however had a fever and need to done the searching and identify any international cases at home. As the same as Lavinia, Muein also cannot read and understand Dutch language. Both of this background, was turn out to be a kind of blessing in disguise where Muein had manage to identify three different international cases which might be suitable with the specific research question and focus which had been initially formulated by Wesley and Lavinia at Rotterdam. Throughout the discussion at the later stage, two of the cases which had been identified by Muein need to be dropped and one cases has been retained. Those three cases are the Tokyo Fire Department in Japan, Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, and the Busan Fire Department, South Korea. In order to synchronize our findings as well as to optimize the context differences influence on our research question and topic, the Busan Fire Department South Korea has been decided to be retained while the Tokyo Fire Department and Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia has been dropped. Among the main issue that influence our decision to just include the Busan Fire Department as compared to the Japanese and Malaysian counterparts is that other than possessing the better English website, Busan Fire Department also provides us with the significant comparative insights regarding the three main information of the Rotterdam Fire service which has been secured by Wesley through the archive searching process. Those three crucial dimensions are: 1) How the fire service has been organized 2) What are the legal responsibility of the fire service 3) How the fire service has changed through past The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysias website, particularly their branches at the regional and local level are poorly developed from the English content wise. From the

institutional building and development, the Malaysian case are also not too different as compared to the Rotterdam context where the local initiatives were also involved. Malaysian Fire Services was formed in 1883 with 15 members of the Volunteer Fire Services in Selangor, headed by H.F. Bellamy and placed under the supervision of the Sanitary Board. In 1895 the volunteer organisation became the Permanent Fire and Rescue Services. Fire services

were eventually established in every state in Malaya and placed under the administration of the municipal council or the Rural Board. In 1946, following Second World War, the Malayan Union Services (MUS) was formed with Flight Lt W.J. Gerumandi as the director. MUS had its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Source:
http://www.bomba.gov.my/en/main.php?Content=vertsections&SubVertSectionID=14&VertSectionID= 1&CurLocation=7&IID=&Page=1

The Tokyo Fire Department in Japan were also almost as the same as Malaysia and Rotterdam where the citizens at the local level themselves. Starting as a municipal fire service organization on March 7, 1948, the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) is now responsible for protecting the entire Tokyo Metropolis except for the islands and the city of Inagi in the Tama area. Source: http://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/ts/sa/p03-04.html

The genesis and development of Busan Fire Department on the other hand are much more unique. Instead of the local citizens voluntary initiatives or the local government effort, the beginning of the department was in October 1st, 1897 by a Japanese who lives in Busan. He organized the 'Busan Fire team' consisting of 50 persons to protect his property from any fire caused damage. It was only in 1939 that the government-initiated Busan fire station was

established. This situation even though seems peculiar, but it is not surprising however due to the fact that Korea at that time are actually under the Japanese occupation. But after the

independence of Korea, all fire facilities and apparatus was managed to be taken back from Japan. (Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/01_Introduction/02_01.jsp)

Japan is not the one and only external or foreign power who influence the development of Busan Fire Department, however. Soon after the end of the World War II, U.S. troops were stationed in Korea, and a joint firefighting headquarters was established with a fire team consisted of U.S. troops and it consists of 115 fire fighters and 24 fire engines. On April 1946, Fire Agency was founded in a provincial office and committee was under the article 66 of military government law. Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/01_Introduction/02_01.jsp

Busan Fire Team 1897. Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/01_Introduction/02_01.jsp

As soon as the new Republic of Korea government was established in 1948, Fire Agency was abolished. Then Fire service division is installed under Gyeongsangnamdo provincial Police Agency, which integrated into Police administration. In 1963 when Busan was raised to Busan Metropolitan City, there was a Fire service section in defense communication division of Busan Metropolitan city Police Agency. This section managed 2 fire stations (Busan fire station, Buk Busan fire station), 14 fire branches, 230 personnel, 38 fire engines and 2 fireboats. The rise of Communism led by Kim-Ill Sung in the North has affect the further development of Busan Fire Department as well. The Korean War 1950-1954 particularly has bring a significant impact on the volunteer firefighters organization. In wartime of the nineteen fifties, Busan Volunteer firefighters were incorporated into and operated by anti-communist group (6 squads, estimated 477 persons). And on 1953, when the militia was organized (5 squads, 355 persons), they earned their livelihood and at the same time

cooperated for home defense after military training. On 1954, volunteer firefighters were installed in Busan Jungbu fire station and Bukbusan fire station for the first time (informal). Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/03_VolunteerFirefighter/02_01.jsp The Korean War has to some degree distorted the development and modernization of the Busan Fire Department. It took almost 20 years after the war for Korean urbanization as well as modernization to take place and further develop their public services. This was also in the Busan case where it was only in the 1970s the progress of the Fire Department can be traced: After the elevation of the city, to deal with increased needs of fire services due to expansion of city and changes of condition, equipments, apparatus and personnel of fire services gradually had been strengthened. On August 30th 1970, the fire services were transferred to local government so on June 1st 1972; Busan Metropolitan City Fire Department was established. From this time, the chief of fire department was empowered to control and manage the department from the mayor of Busan. New Busan Metropolitan Fire department started its way consisting of 2 divisions (fire administration and fire protection), five sections and one center. On 12th July, 2006, Busan Fire Service Academy was established, which is a long-cherished hope of Busan Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City and Gyeongnam Province, for improving education circumstances of firefighters. Now, 2,144 fire fighters are working in Busan Fire Department which consists of 1 headquarters, 1 fire service academy, 10 fire stations, 52 119safety centers, 11 rescue squads, 1 air operations unit, 2 fire boat fleets and 54 paramedic units. And Busan Fire Department operates more than 360 fire engines, 3 fireboats and 2 fire helicopters. firefighters of Busan dedicate to building safe city for citizens. Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/01_Introduction/02_01.jsp In terms of major duties which encompassed by the Busan Fire Department, there are five main duties namely firefighting, Rescue and Emergency Medical Service, Fire Prevention and Public Relations Education, Air Operations Unit, and last but not least the Fireboat Fleet (Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/01_01.jsp) All

Photo Firefighting (Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/01_01.jsp)

Photo Rescue and Emergency Medical Service (Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/02_01.jsp)

Photo Fire Prevention and Public Relations Education (Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/03_01.jsp)

Photo Air Operations Unit Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/04_01.jsp

Photo Fireboat Fleet Source: http://119.busan.go.kr/eng/02_MajorDuties/05_01.jsp