Asan City Conducts Safety Inspections of Senior Centers as Heatwave Shelters

Designated Disaster Helpers Including Elderly Living Support Workers and Itongjangs

Asan City in Chungnam conducted safety inspections of senior centers serving as heatwave shelters to prepare for the early heatwave.

Asan City in Chungnam announced on the 18th that it is carrying out various projects, including safety inspections of senior citizen centers serving as heatwave shelters, to prepare for the early heatwave.

The inspection conducted on the 14th checked whether air conditioning devices were functioning and identified any inconveniences at the senior citizen centers serving as heatwave shelters. In addition, safety guidelines for heatwave preparedness were provided to users and managers, and thorough operation and management were urged.

The heatwave shelters have been operating since the 20th of last month and will remain open until September 30, available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

To create a safe environment for elderly people vulnerable to heatwaves, the city designated 534 senior citizen centers?the largest number in Chungnam?as heatwave shelters and is providing 53 million KRW for cooling expenses.

Additionally, to protect vulnerable elderly individuals, 175 customized care service workers and neighborhood leaders (i-tongjang) have been designated as disaster helpers to establish an emergency contact network. During heatwave alerts, these disaster helpers will check on the well-being of vulnerable elderly people.

Furthermore, to ensure the smooth operation of the emergency safety and security service for elderly living alone, the city inspected the operation of ICT equipment and the transmission of weather forecast alerts.

An official from Asan City stated, “We will actively respond to heatwave damage through close administration such as regular visits to heatwave shelters in preparation for the earlier-than-usual heatwave.”