The number of members of the "fire brigade" responsible for regional disaster prevention has reached a record low, and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda emphasized the idea of making every effort to improve treatment, such as raising remuneration, in order to secure members.
The fire brigade is responsible for initial fire extinguishing in the event of a fire and evacuation guidance in the event of a disaster, but the number is decreasing year by year due to the effects of the aging population.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced on the 15th that the number of members as of April was 818,478, a decrease of 13,500 from last year, a record low.
This is the second consecutive year since 1977, with a decrease of more than 10,000 people following last year.
At a press conference, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda revealed that he had requested the chiefs of the whole country to improve treatment, such as raising remuneration, in order to secure members, and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency will consider new things next week. He set up a meeting and expressed his intention to put together further improvement measures.
On top of that, Minister Takeda said, "In the midst of a catastrophic disaster every year, the weakening of the organization that comes to the scene most is a worrying situation. I would like to consider measures to secure members as soon as possible. ".