"Arrive in 10 Minutes, Complete Evacuation in 1 Hour" Realistic Drill for a Safe City Gumi

Over 300 Participants from 20 Agencies and Organizations Join Large-Scale Civil-Government Joint Drill
Focus on Strengthening Response Capabilities to Mega Wildfires Driven by Climate Change
Practical Evaluation of Resident Evacuation Systems and Unified Communication for Effective Disaster Response

On November 5, 2025, the city of Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province, in cooperation with North Gyeongsang Province, conducted the "2025 Disaster Response Safe Korea Drill," simulating a large-scale wildfire on Mount Geumo.

The drill involved around 20 organizations and groups, including the Korea Forest Service, fire department, police, military units, and Korea Electric Power Corporation, as well as approximately 300 citizens, who participated to thoroughly review the disaster response procedures in a realistic setting.

This exercise was designed to reflect the recent trend of wildfires becoming larger and more complex due to climate change, and it simulated an ultra-fast spreading wildfire scenario.

Gumi City comprehensively checked the organic operation of situation dissemination, resident evacuation, communication systems, and command and control systems at each stage of the on-site response.

The drill was conducted by simultaneously activating the North Gyeongsang Province Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Gumi City Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, linking tabletop exercises with field drills.

An integrated support headquarters was established on site to facilitate real-time information sharing and command system inspection, thereby enhancing the efficiency of inter-provincial and city cooperation systems.

An integrated support headquarters was established on site to facilitate real-time information sharing and command system inspection, thereby enhancing the efficiency of inter-provincial and city cooperation systems. Photo by Kim Ihwan

Additionally, fire-retardant sheets were placed over national heritage sites such as Chaemijeong Pavilion as a fire prevention measure. Evacuation drills were also conducted at multi-use facilities such as hotels and hospitals, and the "Gyeongbuk-style Resident Evacuation System," involving dedicated village officials and patrol teams, was activated, providing an opportunity for citizens to enhance their own crisis response capabilities.

Through this drill, Gumi City simulated key response procedures, including: arriving at the scene within 10 minutes of receiving the report; holding a situation assessment meeting and deciding to activate the headquarters within 20 minutes; unifying inter-agency communications based on the Public Safety-LTE (PS-LTE) disaster safety communication terminal; and completing resident evacuation within one hour of issuing an evacuation order.

Gumi Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "This drill was a meaningful opportunity to verify inter-agency cooperation systems and practical response capabilities in the event of a major disaster," adding, "We will continue to conduct practical, field-oriented drills to build a 'Safe City Gumi' that protects the lives and property of our citizens."

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