Nowon-gu Plans to Support Inert Gas Fire Extinguishers for Electric Vehicle Fire Preparedness

Planned Support of Smothering Fire Extinguishers for Apartments in Ordinance-Enacted Areas
Education on Initial Response to Electric Vehicle Fires and Emphasis on Thorough Maintenance of Firefighting Facilities
Demonstration of Electric Vehicle Fire Suppression with Actual Vehicles and Smoke Effects, and Training on Smothering Fire Extinguisher Cover Usage
Proactive Support of Fire Extinguishers and Smothering Fire Extinguishers for Each Apartment Building through Ordinance Enactment Planned

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) recently held an "Electric Vehicle Fire Prevention Measures Briefing" to address the increasing fire risks associated with the expanding adoption of electric vehicles.

The briefing, attended by about 200 residents including apartment representatives and management office heads, began with a training session by Choi Jin-guk, head of the Public Relations and Education Team at Nowon Fire Station, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fire safety facilities. Team Leader Choi requested the submission of diagrams indicating the locations of electric vehicle charging facilities within apartments to ensure prompt fire suppression and stressed the necessity of thorough management for fire prevention.

Following this, Mayor Oh Seung-rok of Nowon-gu presented the "Plan to Support Fire Extinguishers and Inert Gas Fire Suppression Systems in Apartments through Ordinance Enactment." Given that over 80% of the district consists of apartments, this proactive measure aims to alleviate residents' concerns by addressing electric vehicle fire prevention in advance.

A Q&A session and collection of attendees' opinions regarding the relocation of electric vehicle charging facilities in underground parking lots were also conducted. Many opinions were gathered amid enthusiastic interest from participants.

After the training, a demonstration on the use of inert gas fire suppression systems was held in the above-ground parking lot on the first floor of Nowon-gu Office with the cooperation of Nowon Fire Station. Residents also experienced a simulated fire situation using harmless smoke.

Meanwhile, the district is installing inert gas fire suppression systems and fire extinguishers in eight underground parking lots of district-owned buildings equipped with chargers. The plan is to complete installations promptly in the remaining 26 facilities managed by various departments through swift budget allocation.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, "Preventing electric vehicle fires is a critical issue directly related to the safety of our residents. Through this briefing, we aim to help residents understand and alleviate their concerns while establishing practical measures to prevent electric vehicle fires."