Establishing Preemptive and Post-Disaster Systems
for Prevention, Rapid Response, and Support for Affected Residents
Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province is fully implementing its "Winter Disaster Safety Measures" to prevent and respond swiftly to natural disasters such as cold waves and heavy snowfall during the winter season.
At a press briefing held in the city hall briefing room on November 4, Youngdeok Park, Director of the Safety and Traffic Bureau of Siheung City, stated, "We will do our utmost to protect the safety and lives of our citizens by establishing a proactive response system and strengthening on-site response to swiftly address various winter hazards."
Youngdeok Park, Director of the Safety and Transportation Bureau of Siheung City (center), is explaining the winter disaster preparedness measures at the city hall briefing room on the 4th. Provided by Siheung City
The city has designated the period from this month until March 25 of next year as the response period and is operating a 24-hour situation management system in stages.
Disaster prevention activities are also being reinforced. The city will inspect the safety of snow-vulnerable structures, such as arcades in traditional markets frequently used by citizens, and will promptly reinforce any structures where issues such as corrosion or leakage are found.
In particular, the city will operate a separate Agricultural Disaster Response Center to prevent agricultural damage caused by heavy snow and cold waves. On-site response teams and agricultural technology support teams will conduct regional inspections of facilities such as greenhouses, reservoirs, and farmland. In the event of damage, the city will provide support with recovery personnel and equipment.
Road snow removal measures have also been established in preparation for heavy snowfall. To prepare for the first snow and early spring snowfalls, the response period has been extended by one month compared to last year. During heavy snow events, manpower and equipment will be rapidly deployed from five "snow removal forward bases" located in Daeya, Mokgam, Yeonseong, Wolgot, and Jeongwang, to clear snow from 36 main and secondary arterial roads covering a total of 408 kilometers. The city also plans to carry out emergency repairs and restoration in the event of road facility damage.
To this end, the city has secured 71 snow removal vehicles and 5 excavators, and will install and operate brine spraying devices at 6 locations. The number of brine spraying vehicles has also been increased from 4 last year to 6 this year. In addition, CCTV cameras will be installed at 40 major road locations in the city to address blind spots in snow removal operations.
The city has also secured 56 temporary shelters for affected residents and plans to support rapid recovery to daily life through the provision of relief supplies, medical care, and psychological recovery services. The waste disposal process is being systematically managed to prevent secondary damage from disaster-generated waste.
Director Park stated, "With the conviction that prevention is the best response, we will fulfill our role as Korea's leading safe city, protecting the lives and safety of our citizens."
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