Seongdong-gu Operates 540 Heat Relief Centers and Other Facilities to Prepare for Heatwave

Focused Promotion of 24 Projects in 5 Key Areas: Heatwave, Flood Control, Health, Safety, and Convenience
Operation of 540 Heatwave Mitigation Facilities Including Shade Shelters, Smart Rest Areas, and Smart Cooling Chairs
Preemptive Safety Inspections Conducted Across All Sectors Including Construction Sites, Steep Slopes, and Food for Flood and Wind Disaster Preparedness

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) is launching a full-scale "Comprehensive Summer Measures" to prevent various disasters and safety accidents such as infectious diseases, heatwaves, and wind and flood damage that are likely to occur during the summer, ensuring that all residents can spend a healthy summer.

Starting from the 15th of this month and continuing for five months, the district will focus on 24 key tasks across five major areas: heatwave, flood control, safety, health, and convenience, to thoroughly prepare for disaster response in each field.

In particular, as this summer's temperatures are expected to be higher than average and hot due to the influence of the North Pacific High, the district will expand the operation of heatwave mitigation facilities to minimize heatwave damage.

First, to provide a cool and healthy summer, the district will expand and operate a total of 540 locations including smart rest shelters, heatshade shelters, and heat rest shelters. Among these, 122 bus stop benches equipped with smart functions to regulate temperature, called 'Smart Cooling Chairs,' will also be in operation.

Additionally, the district will focus on identifying socially isolated single-person households and provide linked support for cooling and safety supplies. For vulnerable elderly living alone who are susceptible to heatwaves, regular monitoring and safety management will be conducted through welfare helpers and home care workers along with welfare checks.

In low-lying areas such as Yongdap-dong and Seongsu-dong, road water level gauges will be installed to monitor flooding situations in real time. If river control is necessary due to heavy rain warnings, the district plans to operate early warning facilities and conduct joint patrols with river patrol teams to guide residents to evacuate and prevent accidents.

Furthermore, 49 flood-vulnerable households will be intensively managed. To this end, a total of 84 care officials and companion partners, an increase of 18 from last year, will be assigned to assist in flood damage prevention and rapid recovery support. Installation of backflow prevention devices and water barriers will be focused on low-lying houses and small businesses to prepare in advance for crisis situations.

Along with heatwave and wind and flood damage measures, to prioritize residents' safety, the district will inspect the prevention status of major industrial accidents at all 157 district office workplaces and public facilities. Proactive safety inspections will be conducted at major construction sites, hazardous facilities, steep slopes, multi-use facilities, and road facilities where safety accident risks exist.

Also, to prevent food poisoning, which is common in summer, hygiene inspections will be conducted at group meal facilities such as schools, kindergartens, and daycare centers, as well as child meal facilities. In 30 daycare centers, a 'Food Poisoning Prevention Traveling Puppet Show' will be promoted, focusing on education and publicity to prevent food poisoning.

Moreover, to prevent infectious diseases, an emergency quarantine system will be established, and disinfection activities will be carried out at least once a month at 95 vulnerable areas such as garbage collection sites, riverbanks, and parks. The district also plans to expand the installation of disinfection equipment to minimize damage from mosquitoes and other pests.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We will do our best to prevent safety accidents caused by heatwaves and heavy rains during the summer," adding, "Especially in vulnerable areas, we will conduct thorough pre-safety inspections, and pay closer attention to vulnerable groups living in poor residential environments to ensure that residents can spend a healthy and safe summer."