Hyundai Motor Group releases campaign film 'Saruk, Sachil' to support firefighter recovery

Hyundai Motor Group has released a new campaign film, "Saruk, Sachil," which tells the story of a hydrogen-electric bus that supports firefighters' recovery in the field.

The campaign is a collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group, the Korea Fire and Rescue Service and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province to donate a recovery support hydrogen electric bus equipped with hydrogen technology to provide a comfortable rest area for firefighters at large firefighting sites where they are easily exposed to hazardous substances and to help them recharge quickly.

The video is a letter of support from a senior firefighter to a junior firefighter, conveying the importance of their own safety and rest in order to protect the lives and safety of others.

In the film, firefighters work in shifts of two to 30 minutes to fight a large fire filled with flames and smoke. The firefighters are shown resting between shifts and recharging for the next shift inside a recovery-ready hydrogen-electric bus that emits no emissions, only pure water, and is noise and vibration-free.

Firefighters from the Incheon, Jeju, and Gangwon fire departments participated in the film's production. Firefighters Choi Bang-gyun and Kim Min-hyun of the Incheon Fire Department appeared in the film's voiceover and dispatch scenes.

In addition, the narrator of the film is Lee Chang-hak, a 33-year veteran firefighter from the Gangwon Provincial Fire Department, who is a senior firefighter who is writing a letter of support for a younger firefighter. Lee is best known for being the firefighter who rescued a six-year-old child who was trapped under the rubble of an apartment in Taichung City after being swept away from South Korea during the 1999 Taiwan earthquake.

Since last year, Hyundai Motor Group has donated eight recovery support vehicles to the Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Ulsan, and Chungnam regions. In addition, we plan to donate two more firefighter recovery support vehicles and provide vehicles and rehabilitation equipment to the National Fire Hospital, which will be the first in Korea to be built in the Chungbuk Innovation City in 2025, to support the health and recovery of firefighters.

The recovery support vehicle featured in the video is the eighth vehicle built on the Universe FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) and has been deployed to the Jeju Fire Department, given that the first green hydrogen demonstration complex in Korea has been built on Jeju Island. Jeju Island is also pursuing a vision to build a 'green hydrogen global hub'. The island is actively working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 through green hydrogen-based energy transformation, making it a suitable environment for the operation of hydrogen electric buses.

The production process involved numerous discussions with firefighters and the Jeju Fire and Rescue Service who will actually use the bus. The design, amenities, and interior space configuration were customised to take into account the fact that Jeju Island is a region that requires long periods of on-site standby for large-scale firefighting, maritime rescue, and relief efforts in areas affected by rainfall and typhoons.

Based on Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen technology, the Recovery Support Hydrogen Electric Bus is equipped with the hydrogen fuel cell system applied to the Universe FCEV, which purifies the outside air to supply oxygen and runs the motor with electricity generated by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. In the process, it emits only pure water with no pollutants at the outlet. Firefighters can run air conditioners, heaters, etc. on site to maintain a comfortable indoor environment without worrying about emissions.

High-pressure air and water guns were mounted on the exterior of the vehicle to decontaminate rescue equipment in the field, allowing the rest area inside to be kept cleaner. A fire suit hanger was also installed to safely store used equipment in a separate area in case of secondary contamination.

In addition to the 'D' shaped sofa meeting space that doubles as an on-site command centre, premium recliner seats, a simple cooking area, and the ability to power the vehicle externally to create additional rest areas such as an air tent, the Recovery Support Hydrogen Electric Bus has also been developed.

"Under the social responsibility message of 'The Right Move for the Right Future', we are conducting CSR activities in various areas," said a Hyundai Motor Group representative, "We will continue to create campaigns that showcase our sincerity in developing mobility technology and the good use of technology for the betterment of human life."

Hyundai Motor Group will also release a global version of the "Sajuk, Sachil" video, titled "Got your Back," on the evening of the 8th. The global version features Peter Lee, a Korean-American firefighter working for the New Jersey State Fire Department, as the narrator, adding meaning to the video.

To coincide with the release of the video, we're also hosting an event for firefighters. Throughout the month of July, as the number of comments supporting the firefighters on the "Go, Go, Go" video increases, the firefighters who participated in the film will send coffee cars to each fire station they work at, along with snacks and drinks.

Article roadtesting editorial (dhseo1208@gmail.com)

Photo Hyundai Motor Company