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Busan City Conducts Training for Stakeholders on Pilot Operation of Evacuation-Vulnerable Facility System Reform

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The Busan Metropolitan City announced it will host a training session on April 25 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Hall main conference room to support the pilot implementation of the city's fire safety enhancement policy for evacuation-vulnerable facilities. The training targets public officials involved in building permits and facility administration, as well as licensed architects.

This session will improve the on-site applicability of the revised “Guide for the Application of Evacuation Facilities, including Life-Saving Spaces”, which Busan began using this month, and will strengthen collaboration among relevant institutions.

More than 120 participants from departments overseeing construction, firefighting, and welfare services, as well as architects, are expected to attend.

The training will include:

• ●An overview of administrative procedures and legal revisions by the Architectural Policy Division

• ●An explanation of the revised evacuation facility guide by the Fire Safety Headquarters

Since April 4, Busan has been the first city in Korea to pilot the application of the revised Evacuation Facility Guide, aimed at enhancing fire safety for facilities primarily used by elderly or vulnerable individuals, such as geriatric hospitals.

The City developed the revised guidelines through case studies, simulations, and expert consultations, focusing on facilities frequently used by older adults and persons with disabilities.

Although the revised guide is currently a recommendation and not legally binding, Busan aims to codify it into law. Active participation and understanding from building owners and designers are crucial in the meantime.

A key feature of the revised guide is the introduction of “Life-Saving Evacuation Spaces”, which divides each floor into fire and non-fire zones using fire doors or shutters. These designated safe zones allow those unable to evacuate independently to await rescue in a safer environment and help improve the efficiency of emergency response.

Evacuation-vulnerable facilities include geriatric hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, residential facilities for persons with disabilities, and rehabilitation centers—facilities that serve people who may struggle to evacuate independently.

Although the 2015 revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Building Act introduced standards for evacuation spaces and ramps in such facilities, a lack of detailed technical specifications has led to voluntary implementation under non-binding guidelines issued by the National Fire Agency in 2021.

Ha Sung-tae, Director General of the Housing and Architecture Bureau, stated,

“This training session will lay the groundwork for stable implementation of the new policy and future discussions on legal amendments with the central government. We will continue working toward institutional improvements and field-oriented policies to protect citizens’ lives and safety.”