Suncheon City Launches Full-Scale Effort for 'Comprehensive Winter Public Safety Measures'

Measures for Identifying Welfare Blind Spots and Preventing Winter Safety Accidents

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Suncheon City (Mayor Heo Seok) is implementing this year’s ‘Comprehensive Winter Public Safety Measures’ aimed at minimizing citizen inconvenience by preparing countermeasures to prevent various disasters and safety accidents.

The implementation period for the ‘Comprehensive Winter Public Safety Measures’ is four months, from the day before yesterday until March 15 of next year. During this period, Suncheon City plans to maintain a 24-hour situation management system for citizen safety in connection with the Suncheon Integrated Control Center by focusing on ▶ preparedness for natural disasters such as heavy snow and cold waves, ▶ thorough response to social disasters including fire and facility safety inspections, ▶ prevention of crop damage and strengthening of wildfire surveillance activities, and ▶ identification and active support of vulnerable groups in the winter welfare blind spots.

▶ Preparedness for natural disasters caused by heavy snow and cold waves (road icing, water pipe freezing, etc.)

To minimize citizen inconvenience caused by heavy snow, Suncheon City has prepared 57 snow removal equipment units including deicing material spreaders, snow shovels, and trucks. Additionally, to reduce snow removal vehicle travel time, additional snow removal forward bases have been established, and about 300 personnel including road repair workers have been secured.

Along with this, the city continuously promotes to citizens the prevention of water meter freezing by covering water meters with insulating materials such as old clothes and encourages the installation of anti-freezing water meters. Furthermore, emergency duty teams have been organized with four water supply subcontractors to maintain a constant state of readiness.

▶ Response to social disasters such as fire prevention in densely populated facilities and wildfire prevention

Suncheon City plans to conduct fire prevention publicity activities targeting citizens during winter. Inspection teams composed of private experts in fire, architecture, and electricity will be formed to conduct focused safety inspections on multi-use facilities, including architectural structure issues such as evacuation facilities and fire shutters, fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, automatic fire suppression systems, and fire water supply facilities, as well as electrical components like incoming lines, distribution boards, and lighting facilities.

Moreover, the city will operate a wildfire prevention countermeasure headquarters at the main office and town offices to respond to wildfire prevention. Thirty-three specialized wildfire prevention and suppression personnel have been selected and deployed, and a leased helicopter is stationed to continuously conduct guidance and patrols for wildfire prevention, aiming for early suppression in case of wildfire occurrence. Additionally, 93 postal workers, gas delivery workers, and electricity meter readers have been appointed as honorary wildfire monitors, and the ‘Government Employee Wildfire Initial Suppression Team’ organized from the city civil defense corps is also in operation.

▶ Strengthening surveillance activities such as disaster prevention for crops and facilities and AI quarantine

The Suncheon Agricultural Technology Center is making every effort to minimize damage to crops and agricultural facilities caused by winter disasters such as heavy snow and cold waves.

As a proactive response, from this month until March next year, the ‘Winter Agricultural Disaster Countermeasure Situation Room’ will be operated, and five field support teams consisting of 20 members in total will be formed in towns and townships to quickly assess damage and support emergency recovery when special weather reports are issued, minimizing damage.

Along with this, a field surveillance team has been organized to strengthen surveillance activities to minimize agricultural damage when weather warnings are issued. In particular, in preparation for AI outbreaks caused by migratory birds in winter, emergency quarantine and other response systems are being inspected and surveillance activities are being intensified.

▶ Active support for identifying and assisting vulnerable groups and welfare blind spots in winter

Suncheon City is promoting protection measures for vulnerable groups such as homeless people and elderly living alone, working with self-help organizations like elderly living alone managers and the Majungmul Council to ensure that neighbors in difficulty are not neglected.

Additionally, to support households in crisis during the winter season, the city is conducting visiting consultations to intensively identify welfare blind spots and provide customized welfare benefits, thereby promoting warm welfare for households in crisis during winter.

Especially, since fires caused by the use of heating appliances frequently occur in winter, the city plans to focus on electrical safety inspections for welfare facilities, boarding houses, and small rooms where heating appliance use is high, and also promote the correct usage methods of heating appliances to prevent fires.

A Suncheon City official stated, “We will focus on inspecting areas closely related to citizens such as various accidents and natural disasters to minimize citizen inconvenience and thoroughly check the social safety net to prevent welfare blind spots so that everyone can spend a safe and warm winter with peace of mind.”

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