Gwanak-gu Intensifies Safety Management for Heat-Vulnerable Groups Including Elderly Living Alone

Operation of 137 Heat Relief Shelters (Senior Centers, Welfare Centers, Safe Lodgings, etc.) and Disaster Safety Helper Check-ins
Attention to Smart Heatwave Measures like Gang Gamchan Smart Shade and IoT Care Services

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has entered an emergency response system to minimize damage to residents caused by the summer heatwave and is making every effort to ensure safety management.

Since May, the district has been operating the ‘Gwanak-gu Heatwave Countermeasure Comprehensive Situation Room,’ where all neighborhood community centers and 10 functional departments actively respond in close cooperation whenever a heatwave advisory is issued.

To protect the elderly and vulnerable groups, the district operates 137 cooling shelters in locations with good accessibility and openness (▲105 senior centers ▲21 neighborhood community centers ▲7 welfare centers ▲4 safety accommodations). Twenty-one neighborhood community centers and three welfare centers are also available during weekday nights and weekend afternoons when a heatwave advisory is in effect.

In particular, to allow the elderly to comfortably avoid the heat even at night, the district has partnered with four local lodging facilities to provide safety accommodations as cooling shelters until August 31.

Safety accommodations can be accessed during the period when a heatwave advisory is in effect, and are available free of charge from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. Eligible users include low-income elderly households and other residentially vulnerable groups without air conditioning facilities.

Additionally, the district provides meticulous care services for heatwave-vulnerable groups using smart technologies such as the ‘Smart Check-in Service’ that analyzes mobile phone call records, ‘Smart Plugs’ that detect changes in electricity usage, the ‘AI Check-in Service’ that makes AI calls, and ‘Smartwatches’ that alert when abnormal biometric signals are detected.

Furthermore, disaster safety helpers (including Our Neighborhood Care Team, life support workers, and visiting nurses) conduct heatwave protection activities targeting priority care recipients. A heatwave information delivery system has been established to quickly contact and check on these individuals when a heatwave occurs, and emergency measures are taken if an urgent situation arises.

Meanwhile, to protect residents walking outdoors in the heat, ‘Gang Gam-chan Smart Shade Shelters’ have been installed to prevent heatwave damage. Currently, 96 smart shade shelters and 17 foldable shade shelters are in operation, totaling 113 shelters.

The smart shade shelters automatically open and close according to temperature and wind strength, allowing people waiting at crosswalks to briefly escape the heat, proving highly effective. Installation is being gradually expanded.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “During heatwaves, please refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible, and when going out, use parasols or hats to block the sun,” and added, “Cooling shelters at neighborhood community centers and senior centers are open to all residents, so we encourage everyone to make use of them.”