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Otsu Fire Department Holds Private Memorial for Fallen Firefighter, Family Demands Transparency

Firefighters observed a new ‘Safety Pledge Day’ behind closed doors with no public release of investigation findings

Overview

  • The department marked the first anniversary with a staff-only ceremony at the old Naka Fire Station under its newly established “Safety Pledge Day.”
  • All city fire stations held safety workshops on August 1, continuing training operations that resumed in April with a revised safety manual.
  • External expert hearings and an internal investigation probed Aoki’s 4.7-meter fall but detailed findings and prevention measures have not been released.
  • Parents of Aoki Hiroki are demanding public disclosure of the investigation to transform the accident into a community-wide safety lesson.
  • In contrast, a 2023 rescue-training fatality in Kashiwazaki yielded a publicly published prevention report within six months.