Forming a TF Team to Manage Heatwave Situations and Respond Quickly to Emergencies… Strengthening Response Stages When Heatwave Warnings Are Issued
Thorough Preparations Including Operation of 238 Cool-down Shelters and 2 Safety Accommodations, Installation of 156 Shade Tents
Amid forecasts of a record-breaking heatwave this summer, including the first heatwave advisory issued across Seoul, Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Suhee) announced the '2023 Comprehensive Heatwave Countermeasures.'
The district has designated the heatwave countermeasure period until the end of September and plans to respond by forming a T/F team. The T/F team consists of three divisions?Situation Management, Welfare Measures, and Facilities & Crops Measures?comprising six departments. They will maintain a constant response system with 18 community centers across the district, comprehensively managing heatwave situations and responding swiftly to emergencies. When a heatwave special warning is issued, the response level will be elevated to the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, where five divisions and 13 departments will thoroughly monitor residents' safety to prevent heatwave damage until the warning is lifted.
The district first established a systematic protection system for heatwave-vulnerable groups. It identifies the status and residential facilities of target individuals and assigns visiting nurses to enable emergency response. During heatwave special warnings, safety is carefully monitored, and if necessary, health care services are immediately linked and provided. Disaster helpers, consisting of 142 people including elderly caregivers, social workers, and medical professionals, directly visit or call vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, mobility-impaired individuals, and chronic patients to check their safety.
Additionally, 238 cool-down shelters are operated for residents to stay during the daytime to avoid the heat, along with 2 safety accommodations for vulnerable residents living in poor housing conditions.
These cool-down shelters, set up in the district office, 19 community centers, 134 senior centers, and welfare facilities, operate regularly from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and remain open until September 30, when the heat typically subsides.
Some cool-down shelters extend their hours during heatwave special warnings. The district office and 19 community centers operate from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and 11 senior centers with excellent accessibility in each zone operate until 9 p.m. every day, regardless of weekdays or weekends.
For elderly households living in poor conditions, safety accommodations are also operated during the intense tropical nights of July and August. When a heatwave special warning is issued, these accommodations are available from 6 p.m. on the day of the warning until 9 a.m. the following day. The district has partnered with two hotels to provide these facilities for vulnerable elderly residents aged 60 and above, including those living alone, low-income, or in poor housing conditions.
To allow residents to take a short rest while walking, shade tents have been installed at various crosswalks. Including one smart shade tent that automatically opens and closes in response to temperature and wind, there are 156 shade tents where pedestrians can avoid the scorching sun and prevent heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.
Furthermore, when a heatwave special warning is in effect, roads with four or more lanes will be watered once a day. To prevent safety accidents related to heatwaves, the district plans to intensively promote national heatwave action guidelines through its website and social media, responding to the heatwave through various methods.
Lee Suhee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “As this summer is expected to have higher temperatures than usual, we will strengthen heatwave countermeasures to the fullest to prevent any heatwave damage.” He added, “When a heatwave special warning is issued, please refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible and make frequent use of nearby cool-down shelters.”
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