As temperatures continue to gradually rise across the country, on May 28, Daegu City and its districts actively began implementing measures to combat the heatwave.
According to this year's forecast from the Korea Meteorological Administration, temperatures in June are expected to be generally higher than average, and July and August are also projected to be hotter than usual.
In response, Daegu City, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, has moved up the start of its heatwave response period as a proactive measure, preparing for both an earlier onset and prolonged duration of the heatwave season.
Starting this year, the term "heatwave-vulnerable group" will be replaced with "heatwave-sensitive group." The previous three major vulnerable sectors have been subdivided into four types of heatwave-sensitive groups, enabling customized safety management with no blind spots.
First, for homeless individuals and residents of jjokbang (tiny room) housing, field response teams composed of district officials, staff from the Homeless Comprehensive Support Center, and jjokbang counseling centers will be deployed. These teams will patrol areas with high concentrations of homeless people in pairs on a regular basis.
Additionally, cooling and hygiene supplies such as bottled ice water, cool sleeves, and masks will be provided, along with boxed meals and nutritious food four times a week.
Ten additional air conditioners will be installed in jjokbang housing, and electricity bills will be subsidized. As in previous years, an integrated care monitoring team for jjokbang communities?comprising nurses and licensed electricians, among others, with three teams (welfare, medical, facility) totaling 60 members?will operate at least twice a week.
Second, to ensure the safety of vulnerable seniors, 1,989 care assistants are currently active, providing heatwave relief items such as cool mats, fans, and summer underwear. For seniors at risk of malnutrition, 4,787 individuals receive meal deliveries five times a week to support their health.
Furthermore, Daegu City will subsidize the air conditioning electricity bills for all 1,869 senior centers in the city (165,000 KRW per month during July and August) to ease the burden of cooling costs.
In addition, for the first time this year, emergency management personnel (34 people) will use ICT-based activity detectors to monitor for emergencies and respond promptly to critical situations, including linking with emergency services (119).
Third, to protect construction site workers?who accounted for the highest number of heat-related illnesses last year?the city will strengthen education on the three key heat illness prevention rules (water, shade, rest), ensure the use of heatwave prevention items (such as cool sleeves and cool vests), recommend halting work during the most vulnerable hours (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.), and check compliance with rest periods according to heatwave advisories (10 minutes per hour during heatwave advisories, 15 minutes per hour during heatwave warnings).
Fourth, for elderly agricultural workers, the city will promote avoiding prolonged or solitary farm work. When a heatwave advisory is issued, village leaders, local disaster prevention teams, and others will monitor farm sites during vulnerable hours (10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.), and public announcements will be made via village amplifiers and vehicle broadcasts.
Fifth, the existing senior center-based cooling shelters will be reorganized to improve accessibility and convenience for citizens. Shelters will be reclassified into four types based on usage hours and other criteria, enhancing the accuracy of location information and updating operational standards for full-scale implementation.
Finally, to strengthen heatwave safety management at festivals, outdoor performances, and sports events, cooling zones and six large tents (three locations) as well as cooling fog systems will be installed at the Chimaek Festival. For the Liberation Day Celebration Concert, 25,000 bottles of Cheongrasu water and fans will be distributed to attendees.
Additionally, by 2024, Daegu City had already installed 571 smart sunshades. This year, 72 more smart sunshades will be added, along with 10 additional cooling fog installations (for a total of 109), two more ground fountains (for a total of 85), and three more heat-resistant pavements (for a total of 25).
Daegu City anticipates that heatwave-related damage will continue to increase. When the Korea Meteorological Administration issues a heatwave advisory, the city will activate its Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, strengthen heatwave response measures in each sector, and make every effort to minimize casualties and property damage by closely monitoring real-time incident reports and responding thoroughly to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses.
Park Heejoon, Director of Disaster and Safety at Daegu City, stated, "To ensure that citizens suffer no harm from the upcoming heatwave, Daegu City and its districts will do their utmost to implement heatwave countermeasures. We also urge all citizens to minimize outdoor activities during the daytime, stay well hydrated, and prioritize their health by following safety guidelines."
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