Operation of Seoul City Situation Room under Cold Wave Warning... 24-Hour Response System

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the 23rd, as a cold wave warning was issued across Seoul during the Lunar New Year holiday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government activated the Comprehensive Support Situation Room and entered a 24-hour response system.

The Cold Wave Comprehensive Support Situation Room is composed of a total of eight teams: Situation Control Team, Life Support Team, Facility Recovery Team, Rescue and First Aid Team, Disaster Public Relations Team, and others, performing functions such as situation monitoring and response activity management.

All 25 autonomous districts are also operating situation rooms and stockpiling cold weather and emergency relief supplies to prepare against cold wave damage.

The city spreads cold wave-related action guidelines to citizens through mobile applications such as 'Seoul Safety Nuri' and 'Seoul Safety,' providing real-time disaster alerts. Additionally, as the temperature is expected to drop sharply and the use of heating devices is expected to increase significantly, the city has advised caution to prevent safety accidents.

For elderly people who need care during the Lunar New Year holiday, the city checks on them by phone and visits them directly if they do not answer to confirm their safety. For low-income elderly with mobility difficulties, additional meal delivery services including lunchboxes and side dishes are provided. Counseling and emergency relief activities are supported for homeless people around Seoul Station, Yeongdeungpo Station, and City Hall, while 24-hour shelter facilities are also operated.

With temperatures expected to drop to minus 17 degrees Celsius on the last day of the holiday, the 24th, the city issued the 'Severe' stage of water meter freezing for the first time this winter at 9 a.m. on the 24th. The Severe stage is the highest level in the water meter freezing forecast system (Interest - Caution - Alert - Severe). It is issued when the daily minimum temperature remains below minus 15 degrees Celsius for two or more consecutive days.

In accordance with the issuance of the Severe stage, the city operates the water meter freezing countermeasure situation room 24 hours a day. The Seoul Waterworks Headquarters and eight waterworks offices will organize personnel in two shifts per day to minimize citizen inconvenience caused by the surge in water meter freezing.

If water usage becomes inconvenient due to water meter freezing or other issues, citizens can report through the Seoul Waterworks customer consultation chatbot 'Arisu Talk,' the Dasan Call Foundation, or the relevant waterworks office.

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