'Code 1' for Heavy Downpours... Police Inspect Summer Disaster Preparedness

The police have inspected their disaster preparedness for the summer season.

The National Police Agency announced on the afternoon of the 26th that it had held a video conference to assess the disaster readiness of all provincial police agencies for the summer. As the government has been operating a countermeasure period for heavy rain and typhoons since the 15th, the National Police Agency reviewed its framework for cooperation with related agencies and its own prevention and preparedness plans.

Last July, when the Jojong Stream in Sangmyeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, overflowed due to heavy rain, police officers and firefighters controlled the scene at Daebogyo Bridge. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, overall rainfall this summer is expected to be similar to the annual average, but regional rainfall disparities are anticipated to be significant due to localized heavy downpours. Accordingly, the police plan to launch special management for each region, focusing on the three major types of summer disasters: ▲landslides ▲river disasters ▲and flooding of underground spaces.

First, the police will integrate the disaster situation room and the 112 comprehensive security situation room, establish and maintain a system for sharing disaster information and cooperation with local governments and related agencies, and identify and share information in advance on vulnerable areas designated by local governments, thereby establishing an emergency response system. In addition, the plan includes strengthening disaster preparedness training and drills, inspecting water rescue equipment and traffic safety facilities, reinforcing patrols in vulnerable areas such as underpasses, residential areas, and places prone to frequent flooding, and maintaining a nighttime readiness posture for multipurpose on-call mobile units, all as part of a proactive prevention and preparedness stance.

In particular, when reports are received regarding heavy downpours or landslides, the police will classify them as "Code 1" or higher and immediately dispatch the nearest patrol car, mobilizing a full-scale response. Additionally, in the event of a heavy rain advisory, the police will pre-position resources in vulnerable areas to control traffic, assist with the evacuation of residents—including vulnerable groups and those who refuse evacuation—when local governments issue evacuation orders, and support rescue operations for those who have not evacuated and search for missing persons, thereby ensuring a rapid initial response and aiding recovery efforts.

Yu Jaeseong, acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, stated, "As the agency responsible for disaster management and emergency rescue support, the police must protect the lives and safety of the public. Please strengthen preventive patrols and intelligence activities so that vulnerabilities can be addressed in advance with local governments, and actively participate in inspecting roads prone to frequent flooding and improving related systems."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.