Disaster response is a human-centered process in which cognition, judgment, and behavior are critically challenged under extreme conditions. In disaster environments such as fires, traffic accidents, structural collapses, and mass-casualty incidents, intense time pressure and survival threats often destabilize responders' psychological states, resulting in response paralysis or excessive intervention. These contrasting response failures are frequently observed even among highly trained firefighters and emergency responders, suggesting that disaster response effectiveness cannot be explained solely by technical competence.This study reinterprets disaster response failure from the perspective of psychological regulation and reconstructs the concept of Junghwa (中和) as a theoretical framework for fire and disaster science. Human psychological states in disaster situations are conceptualized as three representative forms-avoidant, excessive, and regulated-which are manifested through the sequential processes of perception, judgment, and action. Among these, regulated representation is identified as the most stable and sustainable psychological state for effective disaster response. Junghwa is redefined as a dynamic regulatory principle that stabilizes decision-making by mitigating the extremes of fear and overconfidence. Furthermore, disaster response is analyzed from an entropy-oriented perspective, in which Junghwa functions as a mechanism for managing uncertainty, resource consumption, and organizational instability at an appropriate level. This framework extends beyond individual psychological regulation to organizational dimensions, including disaster response education, training systems, and operational management. The proposed framework provides a foundation for future empirical validation through surveys, simulation-based experiments, and field studies. It also contributes to advancing a human-centered disaster response theory by integrating disaster psychology, Junghwa, and entropy theory into a unified conceptual model.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a critical life-saving intervention for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Despite widespread CPR education, actual bystander CPR performance remains limited, even among trained individuals. Conventional CPR training has primarily focused on technical accuracy and procedural compliance, while insufficiently addressing the psychological barriers that emerge under disaster conditions, such as fear, panic, time pressure, and decision-making paralysis. This study reinterprets CPR non-performance and delayed initiation as outcomes of normal human psychological responses in disaster situations rather than individual incompetence. Based on disaster psychology theory, key psychological phenomena-including tunnel vision, freeze response, time distortion, and dissociative reactions-are examined to explain how CPR failure may be determined at the cognitive and decision-making stages prior to action. Accordingly, this study proposes a disaster psychology-based CPR education framework structured around a cognition-decision-action information-processing sequence. This study is a conceptual study that does not involve empirical analysis and aims to provide a theoretical foundation for future experimental and applied research. The framework emphasizes normalization of cognitive distortions, reduction of psychological thresholds for action, and automation of CPR behaviors through repetition and simplification. This conceptual model highlights the need for a paradigm shift from skill-centered CPR training to psychologically informed behavioral activation.

This descriptive survey study aimed to examine the level of depression among health science university students and to identify differences in depression according to general characteristics. The participants were 183 students enrolled in health-related majors at a university in the Gyeongnam region, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0, employing descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Duncan's post hoc tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. Significant differences in depression according to general characteristics were found for age (p < .05), with relatively higher scores observed in the 23-year-old group. Differences in depression levels were also identified according to department, with students in the Department of Companion Animal Science showing relatively higher scores than other participating departments. No significant differences were found according to gender, year of study, religion, presence of healthcare professionals in the family, or experience with the death of people around them. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that general characteristics did not significantly influence depression. These findings suggest that depression among health science students may be influenced by various psychological and environmental factors beyond demographic characteristics. In conclusion, systematic mental health support programs and educational interventions are needed for health science students. Future research should explore additional psychosocial and educational factors related to depression among health science students and evaluate the effectiveness of mental health interventions.

This study investigated the perceived welfare status of rescue and emergency medical personnel and explored variations across to demographic and occupational characteristics, as well as key factors associated with welfare perception. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Of the 170 questionnaires distributed, 167 were returned, and 163 valid responses were included in the final analysis after excluding incomplete data. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 29.0 and; included descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance with Duncan's post hoc comparisons, and multiple linear regression analysis. The mean overall welfare perception score was 2.83 on a five-point Likert scale, indicating a level slightly below the neutral midpoint. Higher ratings were observed for institutional support related to injury management during emergency responses, includings access to sick leave, industrial accident compensation, and the use of annual leave. In contrast, perceptions regarding preparation for post-retirement life and organizational support in the event of legal disputes or civil complaints during duty were notably low. Analysis of group differences revealed a statistically significant variation in welfare perception by age, with personnel aged 51-60 years demonstrating more favorable perceptions than those aged 31-40 years (p < .05). In the regression model, the route of entry into the fire service emerged as a significant predictor of welfare perception (β = .185, p = .043), where as other demographic and occupational variables were not significant. However, the explanatory power of the model was limited. These findings indicate that the welfare environment perceived by rescue and emergency medical personnel remains insufficient, particularly in areas related to long-term career security and institutional protection against occupational risks. The results highlight the need for welfare policies that move beyond uniform approaches and instead incorporate career stage, recruitment background, and long-term support mechanisms. Strengthening integrated, sustainable welfare systems may improve both individual well-being and organizational stability within emergency response services.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the level of emotional labor among firefighter paramedics and to identify factors influencing emotional labor. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among firefighter paramedics working nationwide in South Korea. Of the 250 distributed questionnaires, 231 valid responses were analyzed. Emotional labor was measured using a 10-item instrument rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0 with descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance with Duncan post hoc tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The mean emotional labor score was 3.13 ± 0.38, indicating a moderate level. No statistically significant differences in emotional labor were observed according to gender, age, years of service, rank, or route of entry (p > .05). However, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that gender (𝛽 = -0.137, p = .041) and route of entry (𝛽 = 0.171, p = .014) were significant predictors of emotional labor. The negative coefficient for gender indicates that female paramedics reported higher levels of emotional labor than male paramedics, whereas the positive coefficient for route of entry suggests that certain special recruitment groups experienced higher emotional labor compared to those recruited through open competitive processes. Conclusion: Although emotional labor did not differ significantly across general characteristics, gender and route of entry were identified as significant influencing factors. These findings suggest that emotional labor among firefighter paramedics is shaped by both individual and organizational factors, highlighting the need for tailored emotional support strategies.

Objective: This study analyzed survival outcomes according to emergency department (ED) treatment results among patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), using data from the 2023 Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survey, and examined differences in individual, prehospital, and in-hospital factors, particularly focusing on sex differences. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional secondary data analysis design. In total, 19,813 patients with OHCA, registered in the 2023 Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survey, who had documented ED treatment outcomes, were included in the analysis. Individual factors comprised sex and age, and both prehospital and in-hospital factors were included. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 29.0. Differences in variables, based on ED outcomes (survival vs. death), were analyzed using the chi-square (χ²) test, and the level of statistical significance was set at p<.05. Results: Among the study population, 21.9% survived, and 78.1% died. No statistically significant difference was observed in survival according to sex (p=.189); however, a significant difference was observed according to age (χ²=88.854, p<.001), with a higher mortality rate among patients aged ≥65 years. Among prehospital factors, neither witnessed cardiac arrest (p=.180) nor bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR; p=.689) exhibited a significant association with survival outcomes. Conversely, among the in-hospital factors, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the emergency department was significantly associated with survival (χ²=5.714, p=.009), with a higher rate of ED ROSC observed among the survival group. Conclusion: Survival among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was more closely associated with age and the achievement of ROSC during the emergency department phase than with sex. In particular, effective resuscitation efforts and restoration of circulation in the emergency department played a critical role in patient survival, emphasizing the importance of ED-stage treatment strategies to improve survival outcomes among OHCA patients.

The increasing verticalization, large-scale development, and functional complexity of contemporary buildings have heightened the risk of complex disasters involving fires, power outages, and smoke propagation. In such environments, emergency exit signs play a critical role in supporting the safe evacuation of occupants. However, conventional centralized emergency exit sign systems typically rely on fixed evacuation routes and centralized power supplies, limiting their ability to respond effectively to dynamically changing disaster conditions and power disruptions. To address these limitations, this study proposes and analyzes a situation-responsive distributed-power emergency exit sign system that integrates adaptive evacuation guidance with a distributed power architecture. The proposed system was reconstructed as an academic subject of analysis, and its structural and operational characteristics were compared with those of conventional emergency exit sign systems. Each emergency exit sign was designed to operate using an independent distributed power source while dynamically controlling evacuation directions through the collection and analysis of real-time disaster information, including fire occurrence, smoke propagation, and power outage conditions. Scenario-based analyses were conducted under representative disaster conditions, including fire events, power outages, and complex disaster situations involving simultaneous fire and power outages. The analyses focused on evaluating the continuity of evacuation guidance functions, the operational resilience of the distributed power architecture, and the adaptability of the situation-responsive control mechanism. The results indicate that the proposed system can maintain evacuation guidance functionality during power interruptions and provide adaptive evacuation instructions that continuously redirect occupants away from hazardous areas as disaster conditions evolve. The findings suggest that integrating distributed power management with situation-responsive evacuation guidance can significantly enhance the resilience and effectiveness of emergency exit sign systems in complex disaster environments. This study provides a conceptual and technological foundation for the development of next-generation intelligent evacuation guidance systems and performance-oriented emergency exit sign technologies.

This study proposes an intelligent sprinkler system that identifies fire zones according to risk levels using real-time multi-sensor detection data and dynamically controls water discharge intensity and spray patterns in a stepwise manner. Conventional sprinkler systems generally activate uniform water discharge across the entire protected area once predefined conditions are met, often resulting in unnecessary water damage and inefficient use of firefighting water resources. To address these limitations, the proposed system integrates and analyzes data from multiple sensors, including smoke, temperature, flame, and gas detectors, in real time to classify fire-affected zones into distinct risk levels and apply differentiated water discharge strategies corresponding to each level. While the system concept is based on a related patent filed by the author (Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0044155), the patented technology is not reproduced verbatim. Instead, the system is reinterpreted and expanded from an academic perspective to incorporate dynamic water discharge control mechanisms that account for fire spread characteristics and spatial conditions. This approach aims to enhance fire suppression efficiency while minimizing secondary damage resulting from unnecessary water discharge.

This study analyzed the structural design concept and operating principles of a double-socket fire hose based on patented technology and evaluated its applicability to firefighting operations. For fire scenes in South Korea, water-supply outlets and nozzles are typically standardized to two diameters: 40 and 65 mm. This dual-standard configuration often necessitates hose replacement or the use of conversion adapters, which can delay initial response and reduce operational inefficiency. Furthermore, large-diameter (65 mm) fire hoses are associated with significant hose reaction and instability under high-pressure water discharge, resulting in reduced maneuverability and increased safety risks for firefighters. To address these issues, this study investigated double-socket fire hose designed to connect to multiple outlet diameters without requiring hose replacement. A 40-mm hose served as the primary flow path, whereas a concentrically arranged 65-mm outer coupling socket enabled immediate adaptation to different water-supply standards. The structural configuration, coupling mechanism, flow characteristics, and functional features of the double-socket system were analyzed from an engineering perspective. The analysis indicated that the integrated socket structure simplifies the connection process and ensures stable sealing performance under high-pressure conditions. Furthermore, by maintaining a smaller-diameter primary flow path, the double-socket fire hose can mitigate excessive hose reaction and improve maneuverability compared with conventional large-diameter hoses. These characteristics may reduce the physical workload for firefighters and enhance their operational safety. This study provides an academic examination of an integrated fire hose structure that has received limited attention in prior studies focusing on single-diameter hoses or individual connectors. Further experimental validation of flow rate, pressure loss, and reaction force, in conjunction with field-based performance assessments, may support the practical implementation and standardization of double-socket fire hose systems.

This study presents a machine vision-based automated inspection system for non-contact evaluation of side machined holes in Fixed Scroll components of air-conditioning scroll compressors. The proposed system employs a 5 MP mono global-shutter camera, dome illumination, and an industrial PC (IPC) with template matching, sub-pixel edge detection, and circle fitting algorithms. Experimental results showed a mean center-coordinate error of 0.12 mm, a mean radius error of 0.08 mm, burr/shape detection accuracy of 98.3%, repeatability of approximately ±0.05 mm, and an average processing time of 0.82 s per part. The results demonstrate that the proposed system provides stable geometric measurement and reliable defect inspection suitable for automated quality inspection of precision compressor components.