Citizen Health and Safety First! ... Pohang City Fully Implements Comprehensive Summer Heatwave Countermeasures

Pohang City has launched an 'all-out heatwave preparedness' effort to minimize damage to citizens caused by the summer heatwave.

Pohang City Hall.

Since early July, days with temperatures exceeding 30℃ have continued, and this summer is expected to have higher temperatures and an increased number of heatwave days compared to the average year.

Accordingly, Pohang City is operating a heatwave response T/F team from May 20 to September 30, the heatwave countermeasure period, through collaboration among 13 departments including the Safety General Division, Elderly and Disabled Welfare Division, Nam-gu and Buk-gu Health Centers, and Agricultural Policy Division, implementing comprehensive heatwave measures.

The city has established a heatwave information delivery system for rapid dissemination of heatwave information, sending disaster text messages upon issuance of heatwave advisories and warnings, and spreading behavioral guidelines through electronic signboards and village broadcasts.

In particular, to protect vulnerable groups such as the disabled, elderly living alone, and those with mobility difficulties, disaster helpers including visiting health managers, elderly caregivers, community leaders, and responsible public officials are designated to conduct welfare calls and health checks during visits.

Additionally, the city actively promotes preventive measures against heat-related illnesses, establishes emergency contact networks for elderly living alone and disabled individuals, and plans to promptly disseminate information when heatwave alerts are issued.

Along with this, 630 senior centers equipped with air conditioning within the city are operated as cooling shelters during the heatwave countermeasure period, and 185 heatshade shelters (18 fixed type, 4 smart type) are operated at crosswalks with heavy pedestrian traffic or traffic islands to provide convenience for pedestrians waiting at traffic signals.

By installing cooling fog systems in the Cheolgilsup Forest and operating urban water spraying vehicles, the city mitigates the urban heat island effect. It also collaborates with regional emergency medical institutions (Pohang St. Mary's Hospital, Pohang Semyung Christian Hospital, S-Pohang Hospital, Pohang Medical Center, and Good Sunrin Hospital) to continuously monitor and share information on heat-related illness cases.

As a measure to reduce damage in rural fishing villages, the city operates an agricultural disaster countermeasure situation room and establishes an emergency reporting system to monitor crop heatwave damage. It also runs an on-site technical support team for livestock damage prevention to establish livestock management measures. Promotion targeting fishermen is strengthened through on-site guidance visits to aquaculture farms by fishing village guidance officials from the Fisheries Office.

Furthermore, shading nets are installed in aquaculture facilities to prevent indoor temperature rise, and monitoring of water temperature and dissolved oxygen is conducted. In case of disease outbreaks, rapid expert prescriptions and treatment support are provided. In addition, thorough education and promotion of heatwave behavioral guidelines for farmers and fishermen are conducted through various crop group training sessions.

A Pohang City official stated, “Since heatwaves are natural phenomena equivalent to disasters requiring management, we will establish a close response system to minimize damage,” and added, “We will prioritize citizen safety and make every effort to thoroughly prepare to manage the health of the elderly and vulnerable groups.”

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