"This Is How Disaster Preparedness Is Done"... Yongsan District’s Comprehensive Flood and Wind Disaster Drill Simulates Real-Life Emergency

At Wonhyo Rainwater Pumping Station, Mayor and 120 Residents Gather
Disaster Command Bus Deployed, Joint Rescue Drill with Firefighters
Mayor Park Heeyoung: "Hands-on Experience Enables Swift Response"

"As of 3 p.m., heavy rainfall of more than 100mm per hour is forecast throughout Yongsan District. This is an urgent situation with a very high possibility of flooding in low-lying areas and casualties."

At 2 p.m. on the 13th, the voice of the head of Yongsan District’s Water Management Department echoed across the front yard of the Wonhyo Rainwater Pumping Station. Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan District, along with members of the Yongsan Fire Station, the local autonomous disaster prevention group, and about 120 residents, took their positions with tense expressions. This marked the beginning of Yongsan District’s comprehensive flood and wind disaster preparedness training.

Hee-young Park, mayor of Yongsan District, is explaining the emergency situation at the comprehensive flood and wind disaster training site on the 13th. Courtesy of Yongsan District Office.

The training was conducted in three stages, corresponding to escalating emergency levels. The first stage focused on advance preparation. Participating residents grabbed shovels and opened storm drains covered with illegal covers to remove debris inside. They then practiced stacking sandbags and installing flood barriers and temporary water stops at the entrances of homes in low-lying areas. The residents, with dirt-covered hands as they carried the sandbags, conveyed a sense of real-life urgency. During the training on operating water pumps and submersible pumps, residents worked up a sweat while learning how to use the equipment.

Mayor Park, who led on-site operations, explained, "Flood barriers may seem trivial under normal circumstances, but they play a crucial role in emergencies and can save precious lives. It’s important to witness the effectiveness of water stops firsthand and to practice installing and removing flood barriers to ensure proper response in a crisis." Mayor Park also noted, "The district provides free flood barrier installations for semi-basement homes."

When a heavy rain warning was issued and the training moved to the second stage, the atmosphere intensified. The disaster command bus, a core feature of this year’s drill, was showcased in front of the residents. Mayor Park and senior officials boarded the bus to lead a situational assessment meeting. A real-time communication drill was conducted by connecting with the Yongsan District Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters control room via video link. As footage of the meeting was broadcast live on an external LED screen, residents watching outside expressed admiration.

This bus, introduced for the first time this year, is a specially modified mobile disaster command vehicle based on a 25-seat mid-sized van. In the event of a disaster, it immediately deploys to the scene and functions as a mobile integrated support headquarters, carrying out command, control, and situation management. On January 22, it was first deployed to a lodging facility fire in Cheongpa-dong, where it served not only as the command headquarters but also as a temporary shelter for disaster victims.

The rescue team of Yongsan Fire Station is virtually rescuing residents isolated by flooding. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

When a simulated report was received about a resident trapped due to flooding in an underpass, the Yongsan Fire Station rescue team was immediately dispatched. The crew demonstrated the rescue procedure by descending 6 to 7 meters on ropes to check the consciousness of the resident in the water and carry out the rescue. Watching the demonstration, Lee Hoonja (female, 76 years old) shouted, "Don’t worry!" and "Stay strong!" prompting other residents gathered nearby to join in with encouragement.

This was followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for a scenario where the victim was unconscious. Mayor Park and members of the autonomous disaster prevention group practiced chest compressions on a dummy (a human-shaped model used as a patient substitute).

As the third-stage emergency work order was issued and sirens sounded, residents promptly evacuated into the interior of the pumping station in an orderly manner. After the evacuation was complete, a demonstration followed in which drainage pumps No. 1 through No. 5 at the Wonhyo Rainwater Pumping Station were operated sequentially. Residents nodded in acknowledgment as they directly observed the visibly lowering water level on the reservoir scale.

The training session lasted approximately 90 minutes. After the training, Mayor Park emphasized, "Given that heavy rain damage has been recurring every year due to abnormal weather, we focused on simultaneously strengthening inter-agency cooperation systems and the initial response capabilities of residents. I believe that the hands-on experience gained here today will enable a swift response in the future."

Residents participating in the comprehensive disaster preparedness training are opening storm drains covered with illegal covers to remove debris inside. Provided by Yongsan District.

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