Seoul City Implements Fire Safety Measures at 2,715 Voting and Counting Stations Ahead of June 1 Local Elections

From the 25th, Fire Station Chiefs Conduct Fire Safety Inspections at Polling Stations... Firefighting Forces Also Deployed Nearby

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 24th that it will implement fire safety measures such as inspection of voting and counting sites and special alert duty at fire stations ahead of the nationwide simultaneous local elections to be held on the 1st of next month.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to concentrate firefighting resources from fire prevention at voting and counting sites to operating an emergency response system in preparation for any emergencies to ensure the election proceeds safely.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters will complete fire safety inspections of 2,715 voting and counting sites and safety consulting on the maintenance of fire and anti-fire facilities conducted by fire officials in charge of fire prevention work by the 31st.

Starting from the 25th, fire station chiefs will conduct on-site fire safety inspections at 25 counting sites. Through this, they will check not only the status of fire safety management but also the site conditions to ensure that firefighting teams can quickly carry out operations in case of emergencies. In addition, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters and 25 fire stations will enter special alert duty from 6 p.m. on the 31st, the day before the election, until the counting is completed to prepare for emergencies such as fires.

During the special alert duty period, fire station chiefs will activate an emergency contact system for urgent mobilization of firefighting forces and strengthen cooperation with related organizations such as the Election Commission, police, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation to maintain fire vigilance and a rapid response system. Also, each fire station will conduct fire prevention patrols using fire trucks at least twice a day targeting early voting sites and counting sites within their jurisdiction, and firefighting resources will be deployed in close proximity to the 25 counting sites.

Choi Tae-young, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “We will do our utmost to prevent and respond to fires to ensure that the nationwide simultaneous local elections proceed safely,” and added, “We hope citizens participate in exercising their precious voting rights with peace of mind.”