The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters has established and is implementing the ‘Senior Welfare Facility Safety The Dream＋’ plan, which significantly strengthens fire safety measures in senior welfare facilities in response to the entry into a super-aged society.
The ‘Senior Welfare Facility Safety The Dream＋’ project aims to create senior welfare facilities where the elderly are safe and families are reassured, and it is carried out in four stages to enhance fire safety in these facilities.
First, in stage 1, a fire safety status survey will be conducted targeting 2,942 senior welfare facilities across the province to assess fire risks and safety levels. Based on this, risk grades will be classified for each facility, and customized safety management plans will be derived.
Next, in stage 2, fire prevention and evacuation guidance training will be provided to workers at senior welfare facilities to strengthen on-site supervision. Practical evacuation methods such as ward arrangement according to mobility, use of evacuation and rescue equipment, and first aid will be taught.
Stage 3 involves conducting more intensive fire safety inspections and improvement guidance for facilities evaluated as high-risk.
The final stage 4 includes collaborating with the National Health Insurance Service to produce and distribute a ‘Fire Safety Guide’ covering facility safety inspections and evacuation guidance. Fire drills and fire safety consulting will be provided to newly established facilities less than three years old. Additionally, proposals for institutional improvements, such as mandating the installation of optical evacuation guidance lines in senior welfare facilities, will be submitted to central government agencies.
The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters expects this plan not only to prevent fire accidents but also to serve as an opportunity to further enhance the welfare and safety levels of the elderly.
Jo Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, emphasized, “The safety of senior welfare facilities is Gyeonggi-do’s top priority in line with the increasing elderly population. Gyeonggi-do’s ‘Senior Welfare Facility Safety The Dream＋’ plan will be recognized as a representative exemplary case preparing for a safe future in a super-aged society, and we will continue our efforts to achieve ‘zero’ casualties from fires.”
Meanwhile, the population aged 65 and over in the province is 2.17 million, accounting for 22% of the national elderly population. In addition, there are 16,396 senior welfare facilities, representing 17.6% of the nationwide total.
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