Seoul Heatwave 119 Rescue and Emergency Situation Room Operates 24 Hours ... Safety Management for 12 Ggokbangchon Areas

Si Fire and Disaster Headquarters Strengthens Emergency Preparedness for Heatwave Damage ... Checks on Severely Disabled Living Alone

The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters is conducting water spraying operations to lower the temperature in the alleyways of the Donui-dong shantytown in Jongno-gu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid continuous heatwaves, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 20th that they will strengthen emergency preparedness for heatwave-related incidents by operating 119 rescue and emergency rooms 24 hours a day at each fire station across the city until September 30.

Heatwave response activities will be conducted in compliance with government quarantine guidelines such as wearing masks and maintaining a distance of over 2 meters, following the elevation of 'social distancing' to level 2 for COVID-19 prevention. Some measures will be flexibly operated considering the spread of COVID-19 infections in the metropolitan area.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters will first operate '119 Safety Camps' in 12 shantytown areas in Seoul when a heatwave warning is issued. To prevent damage to residents in heat-vulnerable areas, they will provide cold beverages such as ion drinks and conduct water spraying activities to lower the temperature around the shantytowns.

The 119 Safety Support Call Center will check the safety of 753 severely disabled individuals living alone, managed by each fire station, via phone calls and provide emergency services such as first aid through 119 reports if help is requested.

Additionally, the headquarters will maintain a 24-hour emergency dispatch system with 151 ambulances and 22 motorcycle ambulances for the urgent transport of heatstroke patients. To prepare for gaps in ambulance coverage during heatwaves, they will also organize and operate pump ambulances (pump trucks + ambulances) as reserve units.

To respond urgently to elevator entrapment accidents caused by power outages due to a surge in electricity usage, four power generator vehicles (two fire department, two Korea Electric Power Corporation) will be on standby. These generator vehicles can provide temporary power to rescue people in the event of simultaneous elevator entrapments caused by temporary power outages.

Once the spread of COVID-19 infections in the metropolitan area stabilizes, 118 'Heatwave Rest Areas' will be operated 24 hours a day to prevent heatwave damage among vulnerable groups. Use of the heatwave rest areas requires simple personal information registration, temperature checks, and wearing masks. Hand sanitizers and ion drinks will be provided.

Shin Yeol-woo, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "With social distancing elevated to level 2 due to COVID-19 and the overlapping heatwave, special attention is needed for the health management of vulnerable groups such as the elderly." He urged, "When a heatwave advisory is issued, please refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible, check on isolated elderly neighbors, and immediately report to 119 if symptoms such as nausea or dizziness occur."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.