Group affiliates and on-site partner firms take part in companywide safety check at Dongdaemun-gu headquarters

Drill features elevator shutdown and simulated firefighting under realistic fire scenario

Local fire department officials observe and assess emergency response procedures step by step

Employees of Dong-A Socio Group participate in a joint fire brigade and evacuation drill at the group's headquarters in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. [Dong-A Socio Group]
Employees of Dong-A Socio Group participate in a joint fire brigade and evacuation drill at the group's headquarters in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. [Dong-A Socio Group]

Dong-A Socio Group announced Thursday that it held a joint fire brigade drill and evacuation exercise this month at its headquarters in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, for employees and members of on-site partner companies.

The drill was designed to strengthen the fire brigade's initial response capabilities and employees' emergency evacuation skills, with the goal of building a workplace safety management system capable of swift, systematic action in the event of an actual fire.

Participants included employees from group affiliates based at the headquarters — Dong-A Socio Holdings, Dong-A ST, Dong-A Pharmaceutical, DAI and Dong-A Otsuka — as well as members of partner companies permanently stationed at the site, who joined in reviewing practical safety measures.

The group designated one floor of the building as the simulated fire floor and conducted the drill as if a real emergency were underway. To build response capabilities matching those needed in an actual fire, elevators were shut down during the exercise, and initial firefighting training was carried out using simulated fire equipment and smoke-discharge extinguishers.

On the designated fire floor, the fire brigade's emergency communication team, initial firefighting team and evacuation guidance team each carried out their respective roles — relaying alerts, suppressing the fire and directing evacuees. Employees evacuated quickly to designated emergency assembly points under the guidance of the evacuation team. The drill also covered procedures for checking whether anyone remained unaccounted for in each floor's evacuation zone and reporting the results to the command and control team.

In addition, employees and partner company members were issued fire-evacuation handkerchiefs to minimize harm from smoke inhalation, and were trained on how to use them correctly during an evacuation.

Officials from the Yongdu 119 Safety Center under the Dongdaemun Fire Department were present throughout the drill to observe the entire exercise and assess the fire brigade's initial response system and employee evacuation procedures.

The officials paid particular attention to whether each step — from alerting staff to the fire through initial suppression, evacuation guidance and headcount at the assembly point — was carried out properly. After the drill concluded, they provided expert feedback and guidance on the fire brigade's roles, initial response techniques and key precautions during evacuation, aimed at enabling a faster and more effective response in the event of a real fire.

"This was a hands-on drill that went beyond simple education, following actual emergency procedures from the initial alert through firefighting, evacuation guidance and headcount," a Dong-A Socio Group official said. "We will continue to strengthen employees' emergency response capabilities and work to create a safe workplace through practical fire evacuation training."


silverpaper@heraldcorp.com