‘The Last Cold Wave’ … Busan City Makes Every Effort to Prevent Cold Wave Damage to Vulnerable Groups

Cold Wave Preparedness Joint Countermeasure Meeting Led by Director of Citizen Safety Office

Focused Inspection of Cold Wave Prevention Measures by Related Departments, 16 Districts and Counties, Police, and Fire Services

Busan City is taking meticulous measures to prevent cold wave damage to vulnerable groups in anticipation of a rapid temperature drop from March 1 to 2.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecast, the lowest temperature in the Busan area on March 1 is expected to be 1°C (feels like -5°C), and on March 2, the lowest temperature is expected to be -4°C (feels like -10°C).

First, at 2 p.m. on the 28th, the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at City Hall held a joint countermeasure meeting chaired by the Director of the Citizen Safety Office with related departments and agencies to discuss measures to prevent cold wave damage to vulnerable groups.

Cold Wave Preparedness Inspection Meeting.

The meeting was attended by 10 city cold wave support departments, 16 districts and counties, fire services, police, and other related agencies.

At the meeting, the city focused on thoroughly inspecting preventive measures for the last cold wave of this winter, including ▲operation and management of cold wave shelters and emergency evacuation centers ▲close management such as visiting and checking on vulnerable groups like residents of small rooms and elderly living alone via phone calls ▲monitoring CCTV in areas prone to road icing and preemptive application of de-icing agents.

Additionally, to prevent freezing and bursting of water supply facilities, the city checked facility inspections such as patrols of vulnerable pipelines, insulation measures for water pipes and meters, and promoted public awareness on running water.

To prevent damage to farms, the city urged inspection of heating equipment operation such as thermal covers and heaters in greenhouses and promoted the 'Crop Disaster Insurance Support Project' to ensure compensation for damages if they occur.

Measures to prevent damage to vulnerable groups were also discussed, including support for supplies and focused safety management through dedicated visiting personnel.

The city is responding thoroughly to ensure no deficiencies in the operation and management of cold wave-related facilities, having recently completed a joint full inspection of 1,065 cold wave shelters in the city with districts and counties.

They checked overall operations such as shelter operating hours, installation of guide signs, and operation of heating devices, and completed reorganization by reviewing the appropriateness of facilities designated as cold wave shelters.

The city plans to do its best to prevent safety accidents among citizens by intensively promoting cold wave citizen action guidelines through disaster safety text messages during the cold wave period.

The main citizen action guidelines for cold wave preparedness include ▲driving slowly and maintaining a safe distance in anticipation of icy roads ▲wearing scarves, gloves, hats, etc., when going outside ▲filling and sealing water meter boxes with old clothes or insulation packs to prevent pipe bursts ▲prohibiting the use of braziers inside tents or enclosed spaces to prevent suffocation accidents in winter.

Kim Kyung-deok, Director of the Citizen Safety Office, said, “As temperatures are expected to drop sharply starting from the upcoming March 1 holiday weekend, thorough preparation is necessary to protect vulnerable groups from the cold wave.” He added, “Our city will continue to do its utmost in cold wave response to ensure that socially disadvantaged groups such as elderly living alone, homeless people, and persons with disabilities do not suffer damage from the cold wave.”

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