By Nam Hyun-woo
Firefighter Seo Bethel is not only a lifesaver for residents in Saha-gu, Busan, but also an inventor coming up with handy tools to help firefighters improve their efficiency.
Last week, Seo won the top prize in an idea contest for firefighters held by a domestic online retail company. His winning idea was a laser pointer that projects a net-shaped beam capable of showing the contours of a 3D object.
"When firefighters perform operations in low-visibility settings, it is hard to determine whether an obstacle has a bump or swelling using a standard flashlight. By emitting a net-shaped beam, the laser will be contoured on an uneven surface and this will help firefighters perceive surface features accurately," Seo said.
Seo, who has been a firefighter since 2010, came up with the idea when he was out extinguishing a fire at an apartment construction site.
"Since the site was under construction, there was no light at all and it was full of smoke. I came up with the idea when my flashlight couldn't show that what I thought was a wall was actually an empty elevator shaft," he said.
By winning the prize, his idea will be reviewed by the contest organizers for commercialization. In 2013, eBay Korea, which hosts the contest, developed an anti-twist hose for firefighters and provided them for fire authorities in Incheon, Gwangju and South Chungcheong Province.
Along with the laser pointer, Seo has submitted several ideas for local contests. One of them is a set of laser pointers attached to the back of the fire truck projecting messages onto the road that the fire truck is on duty.
"The laser pointers will display signs, such as no entry or this lane is occupied by a fire engine. By doing so, it can help firefighters save time spent setting up a perimeter using traffic cones," he said.
This is not the first time Seo has been in the news. In 2012, he made local headlines for saving three middle school students who were swept away by waves near Taejongdae, Busan. Seo was off-duty at the time.
"Along with my duties as a firefighter, I will continue coming up with ideas for handy tools firefighters can use to be more efficient in saving lives," he said.
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| Seo Bethel |
Last week, Seo won the top prize in an idea contest for firefighters held by a domestic online retail company. His winning idea was a laser pointer that projects a net-shaped beam capable of showing the contours of a 3D object.
"When firefighters perform operations in low-visibility settings, it is hard to determine whether an obstacle has a bump or swelling using a standard flashlight. By emitting a net-shaped beam, the laser will be contoured on an uneven surface and this will help firefighters perceive surface features accurately," Seo said.
Seo, who has been a firefighter since 2010, came up with the idea when he was out extinguishing a fire at an apartment construction site.
"Since the site was under construction, there was no light at all and it was full of smoke. I came up with the idea when my flashlight couldn't show that what I thought was a wall was actually an empty elevator shaft," he said.
By winning the prize, his idea will be reviewed by the contest organizers for commercialization. In 2013, eBay Korea, which hosts the contest, developed an anti-twist hose for firefighters and provided them for fire authorities in Incheon, Gwangju and South Chungcheong Province.
Along with the laser pointer, Seo has submitted several ideas for local contests. One of them is a set of laser pointers attached to the back of the fire truck projecting messages onto the road that the fire truck is on duty.
"The laser pointers will display signs, such as no entry or this lane is occupied by a fire engine. By doing so, it can help firefighters save time spent setting up a perimeter using traffic cones," he said.
This is not the first time Seo has been in the news. In 2012, he made local headlines for saving three middle school students who were swept away by waves near Taejongdae, Busan. Seo was off-duty at the time.
"Along with my duties as a firefighter, I will continue coming up with ideas for handy tools firefighters can use to be more efficient in saving lives," he said.
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