A primary task of fire department is maintaining public safety, system maintenance and welfare improvement by protecting life, body and property of a people through prevent and extinguish of the fire in emergency. Rescue part of those affairs has supported by the people but affairs related to the fire examination and investigation could not get it. Although fire examination is a very important part of fire department administration, it has been understood indifferently due to lack of awareness and concern.
There has been a bilateral control over the fire investigation. Under the current law system, fire department has the right of fire investigation on property damages, life losses, etc. and the police seeks and examines into the criminal case i.e. arresting criminal or finding the possible clues of fire cause. This means that two agencies have been doing their work on their own way without organic cooperation. The lack of cooperation can be harmful to both agencies so the effort for system improvement should be given.
The fire investigation methods remains in a relatively low stage in contrast the number of fire is increasing day by day and the cunning trick of arsons overwhelming the fire investigation. As a result, people who lost their home and their property from fire had to suffer with the insufficient investigation result. Now we should think over the above-mentioned problems from the viewpoint of development and well designed system model be prepared in reference of other advanced countries'' system
The fire department(Service) has been taking a key role in fire prevention, alert, suppression area and it has the merit of acting as a first responder. So it can seize up the fire scene and preserve the condition untouched at first stage. Also the legal right ti investigate the fire cause and seek criminals should be given to fire department.
The most important thing is to give them a perfect legal investigation right on fire including police area(seeking and examining into the case at first stage). And it should be stated in criminal law. With the joint effort between Fire and Police department, we can develop the reformation, enlightening program for the arsons or fire related criminals. Through this, it systematically have to be good for fire prevent.
This study focused on the review of Korean fire investigation system and will provide the means for having investigation right. Thus I hope this study be contributed for the people.