Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled a campaign video titled ‘Saryuk, Sachil’, which depicts the story of hydrogen fuel cell recovery buses designed for the comfortable rest of on-site firefighters. (Video link: https://youtu.be/oJpVAmZaLw8)
※ Saryuk, Sachil: A firefighter radio communication term meaning ‘Do you understand? I understand.’
This campaign is a collaborative project between Hyundai Motor Group, the National Fire Agency, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, aimed at providing firefighters with a comfortable resting space and aiding quick recovery in large fire-fighting situations where exposure to harmful substances is prevalent.
The video features a supportive letter from a senior firefighter to their junior, conveying the importance of their own safety and rest while protecting the lives and safety of others.
In the video, firefighters are seen switching out every 20 to 30 minutes to tackle a large fire, working under the smoke and flames. After a shift, they recharge inside the recovery hydrogen fuel cell bus, which emits only pure water without exhaust and operates silently without vibrations.
Firefighters from the Incheon, Jeju, and Gangwon Fire Departments actively participated in the making of the video. The voices for the title ‘Saryuk, Sachil’ and the emergency response scenes were provided by Sergeant Choi Bang-kyun and Captain Kim Min-hyun from Incheon Fire Department.
To emphasize the meaning of a supportive letter from a senior to a junior firefighter, Commander Lee Chang-hak, a 33-year veteran firefighter from Gangwon Fire Department, lent his voice as the narrator. Lee Chang-hak is also well-known for rescuing a 6-year-old child trapped in the rubble of an apartment building in Taichung City during the 1999 Taiwan earthquake, after being dispatched from Korea.
Meanwhile, since last year, Hyundai Motor Group has sequentially donated eight recovery support vehicles to regions such as Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Ulsan, and Chungnam. Additionally, they plan to donate two more recovery support vehicles and provide vehicles and rehabilitation equipment for the National Fire Hospital, set to open in 2025 in Cheongbuk Innovation City, to support the health and recovery of firefighters.
The recovery support vehicle featured in the video is the eighth unit based on the Universe FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), assigned to Jeju Fire Department in consideration of the establishment of South Korea’s first green hydrogen demonstration complex in Jeju. Jeju is also pursuing the vision of becoming a ‘Green Hydrogen Global Hub’ and is proactively working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 through an energy transition based on green hydrogen, making it an ideal environment for hydrogen-powered bus operations.
In the production process, discussions were held multiple times with the firefighters from Jeju, who will be using the bus on-site, as well as with the National Fire Agency. Considering the regional characteristics where long-term waiting at the scene is often required for large fire-suppression operations, maritime rescues, and disaster relief activities due to rain and typhoons, tailored opinions were reflected in the design, convenience features, and internal space configuration.
The recovery support hydrogen fuel cell bus, completed based on Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen technology, features a hydrogen fuel cell system applied to the Universe FCEV, which purifies external air to supply oxygen. It operates the vehicle’s motors using electricity generated by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only pure water without any pollutants. Firefighters can maintain a comfortable environment inside the vehicle with air conditioning and heating without worrying about exhaust gases.
Additionally, to keep the resting area clean, high-pressure air guns and water guns are installed outside the vehicle to remove contaminants from rescue equipment. To prepare for potential secondary contamination, a fire suit hanger is also included for the safe storage of used equipment.
Moreover, the interior of the recovery support hydrogen fuel cell bus has been developed to include a ‘U’ shaped meeting space that can serve as an on-site command post, premium recliner seats, a simple cooking area, and the capability to supply the vehicle’s power externally to utilize additional resting areas, such as air tents.
A Hyundai Motor Group representative stated, “Under the social responsibility message of ‘The Right Move for the Right Future’, we are engaging in CSR activities across various domains” and added, “We will continue to create campaigns that embed sincerity in the development of mobility technologies and demonstrate their benevolent use for the betterment of humanity.”
Meanwhile, a global version of the ‘Saryuk, Sachil’ video titled ‘Got your Back’ is also set to be released on the evening of the 8th (Korean time). The global version features Korean-American firefighter Peter Lee, who serves in New Jersey, as the narrator, adding further significance to the video.
In conjunction with the video release, an event for firefighters is also underway. Throughout July, as the number of supportive comments for the firefighters on the ‘Saryuk, Sachil’ video increases, coffee trucks will be sent to the fire stations of the participating firefighters, providing snacks and drinks.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr