Seongbuk District Holds Emergency Heatwave Countermeasure Meeting in Response to Heatwave and Tropical Nights

Close Supervision of 10,200 Vulnerable Residents
Operation of 270 Cooling Centers

Seongbuk District in Seoul announced on August 3 that, in line with the government's activation of Level 2 emergency response to the heatwave, it would hold an emergency countermeasure meeting chaired by Mayor Seungro Lee to strengthen its response system.

In response to nationwide heat exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters issued the Level 2 heatwave emergency response as of 1 p.m. on August 2. With impacts from typhoons and the possibility of the first heatwave major alert being issued in the Seoul metropolitan area, high temperatures are expected to continue for the time being.

Seungro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk District (second from right), is conducting a heatwave emergency response meeting following the activation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Emergency Level 2. Provided by Seongbuk District.

The district is operating on a 24-hour response system, organizing a daily comprehensive situation room led by the chief of the comprehensive situation room, and establishing teams including the heatwave situation control team, welfare countermeasures team, and energy and facilities countermeasures team. A daily review meeting, chaired by the deputy mayor, is convened to monitor the progress of each department.

Management of vulnerable groups has also been strengthened. The district is checking in on approximately 10,200 vulnerable individuals, including seniors living alone, people with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses, through visits, phone calls, and by utilizing an Internet of Things (IoT) system. It operates 270 designated cooling centers, and if a heatwave advisory is issued, community centers will extend their hours into the night as needed.

Measures to prevent heat-related illnesses that are closely linked to daily life are also being expanded. To help reduce the urban heat island effect, the district is considering increasing the operation of road water spray trucks from the current three times a day, and is inspecting the operational status of heat mitigation facilities, such as shade canopies, cooling fog systems, and smart shelters.

Protection for outdoor workers and senior citizen job participants will also be reinforced. The district is inspecting compliance with the "three major rules for heat stroke prevention," which include installing rest areas for workers and ensuring breaks at outdoor construction and redevelopment sites, and is strengthening on-site safety training.

Large fans will be additionally installed at the Seongbuk Culture Vacance water play area, a popular summer retreat, as well as at three park water playgrounds. In addition, the district is conducting safety inspections of energy facilities and preparing a response system for potential power outages, while maintaining real-time coordination among the city, district, and fire departments via a mobile situation room.

"Continuous heatwaves and tropical nights threaten the health and safety of district residents," Mayor Seungro Lee said. "We will spare no effort to prevent any loss of life by thoroughly monitoring vulnerable residents, protecting outdoor workers, and operating heat mitigation facilities throughout the district."

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