S-OIL Confers Hero Firefighters Awards for 10 years

● 8 Hero firefighters including Fire Captain Bae Gi-man, named the Best Hero Firefighter, were selected as Hero Firefighter
   - Since 2006, the refiner has run the Hero Firefighters Support Program to boost firefighters’ morale and to help stabilize the living conditions of firefighters.

S-OIL held the “2015 Hero Firefighters Awards” ceremony at the auditorium of Yongsan Fire Station in Seoul on Dec. 15 and presented plaques of appreciation and a prize of 90 million won to eight firefighters, who were selected as “Hero Firefighters.” The ceremony was attended by about 100 people, including S-OIL CEO Nasser Al-Mahasher, Commissioner Jo Song-rae of the Central Fire Service, Vice Chairman Jeong Goo-hoon of the Korea National Council on Social Welfare (KNCSW), award winners and their families, and officials from award winners’ fire stations. 

At the ceremony, S-OIL awarded a plaque of appreciation and a prize of 20 million won to Fire Captain Bae Gi-man named as the “Best Hero Firefighter” on the recommendation of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security and the KNCSW and it gave a plaque of appreciation and a prize of 10 million won to Fire Lieutenant Kwon Tae-gwang and six other firefighters.

Fire Captain Bae Gi-man, who was named the honorable Best Hero Firefighter, is a veteran firefighter who has served for 24 years. He is an exemplary firefighter, always taking the lead whenever a large-scale accident occurs, and he commits himself to fostering young firefighters and preventing accidents in the community. When fire broke out at a butane gas plant in Cheonan City in January, he prevented the explosion of 19 LPG storage tanks (453 tons) by responding effectively at the fire scene where 600 or so firefighting personnel and 80 fire trucks were mobilized and thereby contributed to preventing human casualties and property damage.

This year’s ceremony paid particular attention to firefighters who showed the spirit of sacrifice to rescue people when fire suddenly broke out. The following seven firefighters were named Hero Firefighters in the ceremony. During the Chuseok holiday, when fire broke out at a Central marketplace, Fire Lieutenant Kwon Tae-gwang controlled it promptly, warding off large-scale damage. Fire Lieutenant Kim Hong-pil went through a blazing fire so fierce that it burned through his firefighting protective clothing to rescue an 80 year stranded old man. Fire Lieutenant Hwang Sung-soon completely put out a fire for three days, which broke out at an open-air storage yard for wood waste.

 “Whenever I hear news of a fire, which breaks out more often in the cold winter, I feel deeply touched and have great gratitude for firefighters and their amazing instinct to jump into the flame to rescue people and for devoting all their energy to put out the fire,” said S-OIL CEO Nasser Al-Mahasher. “The S-OIL Hero Firefighters Awards that has continued on for ten years is meant to send our respect and appreciation to firefighters who sacrifice themselves to protect other people’s lives and property as well as their families.” 

Since 2006, S-OIL has held its Hero Firefighters Awards ceremony every year to reward dedicated firefighters who have risked their own lives on numerous occasions to rescue people in danger.

As part of the Hero Firefighters Support Campaign, S-OIL has run a wide range of support programs. It gives consolation money to the families of fallen firefighters (45 persons), scholarships to children of fallen firefighters (979 persons), and encouragement money to injured firefighters (210 persons). It also holds a Healing Camp for firefighters and their spouses (420 persons) and the awards ceremony for Hero Firefighters (80 persons).