Firefighters dining on dismal dishes as meager budgets struggle to stretch

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Firefighters dining on dismal dishes as meager budgets struggle to stretch

Published: 04 Oct. 2024, 18:06

A meal in a fire station in Ulsan [OFFICE OF REP HAN BYUNG-DO]

Many firefighters across the country are being fed cheap, subpar meals, according to recent data.

Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party revealed that in some regions, the cost of a meal for firefighters is barely in the early 3,000-won ($2.25) range. Support varied by region, leading to concerns about inadequate meal provisions.

According to data submitted by the National Fire Agency to Han's office, one fire station in Daegu had a meal cost of only 3,112 won. Fire stations in South Gyeongsang and North Jeolla reported meal costs of 3,852 won and 3,920 won, respectively.

This price is lower than the typical 4,000-won convenience store lunch box and pales in comparison to the 5,398-won free school lunches in public high schools in Seoul or the 9,000-won meals for at-risk children in the city.

The cost of meals varied by more than twofold depending on the fire station, with the highest meal cost in the survey at 6,887 won in Incheon.

Each city and province has different standards for supporting firefighter meal budgets, resulting in significant regional disparities. Firefighter meal costs consist of a fixed meal allowance of 140,000 won for public officials, along with additional local ordinances for food supplies, dietitians and cooks, which vary by region.

Only eight of the 18 regions nationwide — Busan, Gyeonggi, North Gyeongsang, North Jeolla, South Jeolla, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong and Ulsan — provide meal support for firefighters based on local ordinances.

Moreover, while the fixed meal allowance for general administrative officials is based on 20 meals per month, on-site public officials, including most firefighters, are based on 30 meals per month, significantly lowering the per-meal cost.

Many fire stations also lacked a dietitian to systematically manage meals, and some didn't have a meal plan at all. In South Jeolla, one fire station did not have a dietitian, and only one each in North Jeolla, North Gyeongsang and Jeju.

"A firefighter's meal proves the strength to save lives,” said Han, stressing the need for a nationwide survey and the establishment of ordinances to centralize the meal support system.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]