Operation of Wildfire Prevention Countermeasure Situation Room and Field-Oriented Firefighting Training
[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Jeonnam Haenam-gun announced on the 4th that it has established a comprehensive plan to achieve zero forest fires in spring and will operate a forest fire prevention situation room until the end of May.
The county selected a total of 56 specialized forest fire prevention and suppression team members starting January 27 to proactively prevent forest fires before the spring season, when forest fires frequently occur, and has begun full-scale operations.
The suppression team members form small groups of 3 to 4 people centered around towns and townships even during normal times to carry out forest fire prevention activities.
In particular, as the risk of forest fires has increased due to recent dry weather, they have actively engaged in proactive forest fire response aiming for zero forest fire occurrences. With the national crisis alert for forest fire disasters raised to the caution level, the county has strengthened its preparedness by conducting on-site, visiting forest fire prevention education.
The education focuses on teaching the specialized forest fire prevention and suppression teams about fire suppression techniques and preventing safety accidents that may occur during firefighting.
The main contents include strengthening rapid response capabilities in actual situations based on the forest fire disaster field action manual, covering forest fire suppression safety rules, use of firefighting equipment, operation of mechanized equipment, and post-management of firefighting equipment.
Additionally, patrol and guidance flights using firefighting helicopters have been intensified, and the comprehensive forest fire prevention situation room operates until 9 p.m. on weekdays to strengthen the response system for rapid dispatch and initial suppression of nighttime forest fires.
Moreover, all 515 villages in the county participate in the ‘Green Village Campaign Without Burning Forest Fires’ to voluntarily eradicate illegal burning, focusing efforts on residents’ self-restraint to prevent illegal burning, which is a major cause of forest fires.
With the full-scale farming season beginning, the county plans to focus on supporting the collection and on-site crushing of agricultural waste through collaboration with related organizations, while also promoting intensive guidance and crackdowns on burning activities.
Meanwhile, Haenam was selected as the best institution in the Jeollanam-do spring forest fire prevention response evaluation last year, and six villages?the most in the province?were selected for the Green Village Without Burning Forest Fires campaign hosted by the Korea Forest Service.
A county official stated, “As COVID-19 prolongs, the value of forests as clean resting places and tourism resources is becoming increasingly important,” adding, “Through continuous education and training of the specialized forest fire prevention and suppression teams, we will minimize the area damaged by forest fires and do our best to ensure that not a single large forest fire occurs until the end of the spring forest fire caution period in May.”
Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun kh0424@asiae.co.kr
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