From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 30th, Citywide... Part of Joint Radiological Emergency Response Drill
Tabletop Exercise (29th) and Field Exercise (30th), Over 60 Organizations and 4,000 Participants
On the 30th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Busan City will conduct a "Radiation Disaster Response Practical Action Drill" throughout the entire city.
This drill is part of the integrated "2024 Busan City Radiological Emergency Response Joint Drill" conducted by the public, private sector, military, and police, which takes place from the 29th to the 30th, simulating an actual radiation disaster scenario.
The purpose is to establish a resident protection system against radiation disasters through close cooperation between the city, 16 districts and counties, and related organizations.
Ten districts and counties within the 30km Radiological Emergency Planning Zone (REPZ), as well as six districts outside the zone, will participate. For the first time, 128 administrative welfare centers will also take part in the drill.
The drill will be conducted over two days, divided into a discussion-based tabletop exercise (on the 29th) and a practical action drill (on the 30th).
The 10 participating districts and counties are Gijang-gun, Haeundae, Geumjeong, Suyeong, Nam, Buk, Busanjin, Dong, Dongnae, and Yeonje. The six districts outside the zone are Jung, Seo, Yeongdo, Sasang, Saha, and Gangseo.
The practical action drill will involve more than 4,000 participants from over 60 organizations, including the government and specialized agencies. The activities will include: ▲evacuation of residents and students using buses and trains ▲traffic control during evacuation ▲vehicle contamination inspection and decontamination ▲operation of a metropolitan disaster relief base center (shelter) ▲distribution of potassium iodide tablets ▲mobilization and redistribution of relief supplies for evacuees, among others.
Specifically, about 1,000 residents and students from 21 villages within the Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) will evacuate by bus and train to a location 30km outside the zone (Gangseo Sports Park), and 128 administrative welfare centers will conduct potassium iodide distribution drills.
At Gangseo Sports Park, which serves as the metropolitan disaster relief base center, activities such as evacuee registration, distribution of relief supplies, on-site meals, disaster psychological counseling, vehicle contamination inspection and decontamination, and radiological emergency medical drills will be conducted. The Korean Red Cross, Yeongnam Trauma Center, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, and local military units will cooperate in these efforts.
By utilizing the National Disaster Safety Communications Network (PS-LTE), real-time situation sharing and command-control communication systems will be established among related organizations, thereby strengthening the radiation disaster response system.
The 10 districts and counties within the REPZ will establish Radiological Emergency Response Headquarters, while the six districts outside the zone will establish Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and conduct support drills in response to assistance requests.
The city will conduct this drill with a focus on on-site safety measures. Busan Metropolitan Police Agency will cooperate for traffic control and order maintenance at the metropolitan disaster relief base center, while the Fire and Disaster Headquarters will provide emergency rescue systems and fire trucks through 119 ambulance support.
Additionally, in preparation for emergencies, about 260 students from the Department of Nursing at Dong-eui Institute of Technology and the Department of Emergency Medical NCOs at Gumi University will serve as medical volunteers, from the villages and schools being evacuated to the shelter sites.
On the 29th at 1:00 PM, at the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in City Hall, a discussion-based tabletop exercise was conducted with the 16 districts, counties, and related organizations, simulating a radiation leak at Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4.
The drill focused on resident protection response and unexpected contingency measures, from the white alert to the red alert stage, centered around the Radiological Emergency Response Headquarters.
Mayor Park Heongjoon stated, "Through this drill, we will further strengthen our ability to respond to radiation disasters to protect the lives and property of our citizens and solidify the cooperation system among the public, private sector, military, and police. In particular, we will once again reflect on the importance of citizen safety, which cannot be overemphasized." He added, "We will not stop at this drill but will continue to take the lead in making Korea a country where the safety of the people is the top priority, wherever and whenever."
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