3D MAPS PREVENT FATAL FIRE ACCIDENTS

[Anchor Lead]

When a fire broke out at a long-term assisted living facility in Wonju last month, all of its residents were evacuated safely. The secret lies in a 3D map of the building. A fire drill using 3D maps was held in Wonju on Thursday.

[Pkg]

A nursing hospital is filled with smoke. Hospital workers are busy evacuating more than 100 residents by carrying them on their backs and pushing wheelchairs. The evacuation process didn't take long because the firefighters had grasped the structure of the building in advance using a 3D map. In another nursing hospital, a fire drill is underway. More than 400 people must be evacuated from two five-storey buildings. The drill was orchestrated using a 3D map of the facility. It shows which staircases to take and which evacuation routes to use. Even those who have never visited the facility before can easily grasp its structure.

[Soundbite] Kim Eun-chul(Wonju Fire Station) : "The key is finding out which side to enter from. Make sure you find out by analyzing the structure of the building."

As the drill begins, evacuation is conducted as planned.

[Soundbite] Kwon Seon-ok(Director at nursing hospital) : "We have learned a lot from this drill, led by firefighters."

When on-site fire drills could not be conducted due to the pandemic, the Wonju Fire Station developed a 3D map for virtual drills. So far, 3D maps of 12 assisted-living and post-natal care facilities in Wonju have been produced.

[Soundbite] Choi Jong-soon(Wonju Fire Station) : "We conduct fire drills in the same way as it would be done in real life. We use the maps to evacuate people when fires break out."

The Wonju Fire Station plans to share its achievement with relevant institutions to further improve fire response.