Seo-gu, Gwangju, Jeonnam Raises Heatwave Alert to ‘Severe’... 24-Hour Emergency Duty and Full Operation of Water-Spraying Vehicles

Operation of 284 Cooling Shelters, Intensive Management of Vulnerable Groups
Temperatures Forecast to Reach Up to 37 Degrees... Level 2 Emergency Response by Disaster and Safety Headquarters

Seo-gu, Gwangju in Jeonnam, has elevated its disaster response system to the highest level to cope with the record-breaking heatwave.

Seo-gu announced on the 1st that, following the escalation of the heatwave crisis alert to the 'severe' level, it has activated the emergency response level 2 of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters starting from 10 a.m. on July 31, entering a 24-hour response system. As daytime maximum temperatures are forecasted to reach 33 to 37 degrees Celsius through early August, this is a preemptive measure aimed at minimizing casualties.

Seogu District in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do has raised the heatwave crisis alert to the 'severe' level and has been operating emergency duty level 2 of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters since 10 a.m. on the 31st. Provided by Seogu District Office

The Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has established a field-focused response system with the Head of the Safe City Bureau serving as the chief of situation management. This system includes participation from 9 departments dedicated to heatwave response and 18 local administrative welfare centers.

Protection for vulnerable groups is also being strengthened. Seo-gu is thoroughly inspecting the operational status of 284 cooling shelters and providing bottled water to local administrative welfare centers and six subway stations. For heatwave-vulnerable groups such as seniors living alone and the homeless, daily check-ins are being conducted by phone and in-person visits. Additionally, the response threshold for the emergency safety and reassurance service has been shortened from 4 hours to 3 hours to enable quicker action.

All heatwave mitigation facilities in the urban area are being operated at full capacity to alleviate the urban heat island effect. On major arterial roads covering 87.33 km, six water-spraying vehicles will operate at least three times a day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cooling fog installations (12 locations), three smart cooling shelters, and 201 shade canopies will also be operated continuously to reduce citizens' exposure to extreme heat.

Measures to protect outdoor workers and farmers have also been strengthened. Seo-gu recommends suspending outdoor work at construction sites during peak heat periods and is rigorously inspecting compliance with the three key rules: 'water, shade, and rest.' For elderly farmers working in rice paddies, fields, and greenhouses, guidelines and recommendations to refrain from outdoor activities during heatwaves are communicated via village broadcasts and text messages. Local administrative welfare centers continue to conduct on-site monitoring.

Yi Kang Kim, Mayor of Seo-gu, stated, "Because heatwaves are a major summer disaster threatening the lives and health of residents, proactive measures are more important than reactive responses. We will concentrate all administrative resources to closely monitor vulnerable groups and outdoor workers and do our utmost in field response so that residents can spend the summer safely."

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