"Wildfire Prevention Begins as Community Centers Open"... Yeongdeok County Establishes Everyday Safety Network for Seniors

Repetitive Wildfire Education Delivered by Happiness Teachers
Comprehensive Response Enhanced with AI Drone Surveillance

With the risk of wildfires increasing due to dry weather and strong winds, Yeongdeok County is strengthening its field-oriented disaster response administration by implementing customized wildfire prevention activities focused on senior community centers, which serve as living spaces for local elderly residents.

Yeongdeok County Resident Participation Landslide Disaster Preparedness Training and Education Conducted
Photo by Yeongdeok County

Yeongdeok County announced that from May 11 to May 15, it is conducting the "Wildfire Prevention Campaign with Happiness Teachers" for seniors who use local community centers.

This campaign is being carried out in connection with the "Community Center Happiness Teacher Program," a leading elderly welfare model in North Gyeongsang Province.

Happiness teachers visit community centers in person and deliver wildfire prevention guidelines to seniors in a repetitive and easy-to-understand manner, with the aim of spreading a culture of everyday safety practices.

The key educational content focuses on preventative measures that seniors can put into practice in daily life, including: ▲ Prohibition of burning rice paddies, fields, and agricultural waste ▲ Management of embers when using wood-fired boilers ▲ Ban on illegal burning near forest areas ▲ How to report wildfires, and other relevant guidelines.

In particular, Yeongdeok County recognizes that, with the risk of wildfires increasing due to recent climate change, targeted and practical promotional efforts for seniors are a key strategy to reduce wildfire damage. The county is therefore strengthening on-site education centered on community centers. Moving beyond simple informational campaigns, the strategy is to enhance prevention effectiveness through repeated learning and experiential training.

Park Gukjun, Head of Forestry at Yeongdeok County, stated, "Most wildfires start from minor negligence, so prevention is the most important factor. I hope seniors will actively participate in observing safety rules, such as the ban on burning waste, as their small actions are the greatest force in protecting our local forests."

Meanwhile, during the wildfire caution period, Yeongdeok County is maintaining a proactive response system by operating an AI drone surveillance network, implementing flexible shifts for wildfire monitors, and strengthening cooperation with related agencies, in addition to various other wildfire prevention measures.

As awareness of large-scale wildfires increases nationwide, Yeongdeok County's campaign is gaining attention as a regional wildfire response model that combines "prevention in everyday life" with "field-focused administration."

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