Establishing Safety Measures for Traditional Markets, Accommodations, and Nursing Hospitals... Songpa-gu's Full Effort to Prevent Winter Fires

Songpa-gu Implements Fire Safety Management Measures... On-site Inspections
From December to February... Focused Inspections on Traditional Markets, Lodging Facilities, Nursing Hospitals, etc.

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) is establishing fire safety management measures and focusing all efforts on fire prevention, including on-site inspections, as the risk of fire increases during the winter season.

According to fire occurrence statistics from the Songpa-gu Fire Station over the past five years, the number of fires during the winter season (December to February) totaled 390 cases, which is relatively higher compared to other seasons. The number of casualties was also the highest, with 17 people affected (3 deaths, 14 injuries).

In particular, large-scale fires continue to occur frequently in complex buildings, lodging facilities, and construction sites, resulting in multiple casualties and significant property damage.

Accordingly, the district has established safety management plans for fire-vulnerable facilities to proactively prepare for winter fires. From December to February, a three-month period, on-site safety inspections will be conducted focusing on traditional markets, senior citizen centers, tourist lodging facilities, and nursing hospitals.

This inspection prioritizes protecting the safety of residents in the event of a fire by focusing on ▲ the proper operation of aging firefighting facilities and equipment ▲ securing evacuation routes ▲ providing and promoting evacuation guidelines for residents.

Fire Prevention Inspection

By facility, ▲ traditional markets, which have a high fire risk due to many visitors and various cooking facilities, will be checked for evacuation fire lanes, whether gas shutoff valves and alarms have been arbitrarily turned off ▲ lodging facilities requiring inspection of electrical equipment such as heating heaters will be examined for firefighting equipment operation, evacuation route security, circuit breakers, and grounding status of outlets.

Additionally, ▲ safety management inspections will be thoroughly conducted for facilities housing vulnerable evacuees such as senior citizen centers and nursing hospitals. In particular, for nursing homes and nursing hospitals, checks will be made on the operation of firefighting equipment, availability of emergency escape devices, and whether fire evacuation drills for patients have been conducted.

Furthermore, during the fire safety management period, the district will operate an emergency response organization to establish a rapid situation management system. In the event of a large fire, a swift response support system will be activated through organic cooperation among 13 related agencies including Songpa Fire Station, Songpa Police Station, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Gas Safety Corporation.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “We will prevent large fires by intensively inspecting fire-vulnerable facilities and reorganizing outdated fire safety management systems and facilities.” He added, “We will continue to prioritize protecting the lives and property of residents and thoroughly prepare for winter fires to build a dense social safety net.”