Pohang City Addresses Electric Vehicle Fire Concerns... 'Proactive Measures' to Ease Public Anxiety

Focusing on Enhancing Response Capabilities Through Citizen Safety, Education, and Training

City Hall, Nam-gu and Buk-gu District Offices Install Fire-Suppression Blankets at Charging Stations

Pohang City has established comprehensive measures and is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of electric vehicles, aiming to alleviate citizens' concerns over the recent surge in electric vehicle fires.

The Electric Vehicle Fire Safety Measures Task Force meeting held last August in the city hall conference room.

Since August, the city has formed an Electric Vehicle Fire Safety Task Force, led by the Director of the Job and Economy Bureau, to gather a wide range of opinions from experts and related organizations, and has prepared comprehensive measures in line with government policies.

On the 24th, to prevent safety accidents on ships operating between Pohang and Ulleungdo, a joint fire response meeting was held with Pohang Coast Guard and related agencies, and plans were made to supply fire suppression equipment such as upward sprinklers, smothering fire blankets, and firefighting gear.

Prior to this, the city and the Facilities Management Corporation installed smothering fire blankets at electric vehicle charging stations located in the parking lots of the city hall and Nam-gu and Buk-gu district offices to prepare for possible fire incidents.

They are inspecting the 'smothering fire extinguisher' installed last August at the electric vehicle charging station in front of Pohang Baseball Stadium to prepare for electric vehicle fires.

The comprehensive electric vehicle fire safety measures are linked to the government's "Electric Vehicle Fire Safety Management Measures" announced on the 6th, focusing on strengthening response capabilities in four key areas: ensuring citizen safety, enhancing facility safety management, improving fire response capabilities of public institutions, and reinforcing education, training, and public awareness.

The city plans to share these comprehensive measures with related agencies and, by September, establish a Pohang City Citizen Fire Safety Evacuation Guideline, as well as actively promote response procedures in case of accidents while driving electric vehicles and methods for prompt reporting.

To strengthen safety management of facilities such as public housing, electric vehicle safety standards will be applied during building reviews, and wet sprinklers will be installed in all new underground parking lots. In addition, the city will conduct intensive inspections of safety facilities such as underground electric vehicle parking lot sprinklers in cooperation with fire authorities.

Smothering fire blankets will be installed at electric vehicle charging stations in nine public parking lots by October, and the city plans to support fire stations with mobile water tanks, upward discharge devices, and smothering fire covers for electric vehicle fire suppression, as well as revise related ordinances within the year.

Furthermore, to reduce and prevent the risk of electric vehicle fires, the city will secure funding to apply improvement measures on-site by utilizing advanced technologies such as AI and big data, including electric vehicle safety notification services and integrated battery management systems.

Above all, as education and training on electric vehicle fires are crucial, the city will provide training for public housing and public institution managers to familiarize them with the location and use of firefighting facilities, and update emergency contact networks with related agencies to establish a rapid response system in case of emergencies.

Additionally, in response to electric vehicle fires on ships, the city will promote safety information to shipping companies, businesses, and citizens in connection with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' revised shipping legal regulations, and will conduct joint fire drills with related agencies next month.

Vice Mayor Jang Sangkil stated, "As citizens' anxiety over electric vehicle fires grows and concerns about the spread of electric vehicles increase, we are focusing on proactive measures to ensure citizen safety," adding, "We will do our best to ensure the comprehensive measures are implemented without setbacks by joining forces with related and affiliated organizations."