Excessive Preparedness! Mayor Lee Kangdeok of Pohang Stresses the Need to Remember East Coast Wildfires

"Complacency leads directly to disaster."

Pohang City has begun inspecting its comprehensive response system for major winter disasters, including wildfires, fires, cold waves, and infectious diseases.

On the 24th, Mayor Lee Kangdeok presided over the "Citizen Safety Measures Meeting to Prepare for Winter Disasters and Safety Accidents" at the City Hall Disaster and Safety Situation Room. He strongly instructed officials to remain vigilant about wildfires along the East Coast and to secure citizen safety through meticulous and even excessive preparation.

Pohang City held a Citizen Safety Measures Meeting to prepare for winter disasters and safety accidents on the 24th at the City Hall Disaster and Safety Situation Room. Photo by Pohang City

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With fire risks heightened due to dry weather and strong winds, the meeting was held to prevent major disasters that are likely to occur in winter. Directors and heads of relevant departments attended to review prevention measures and on-site response situations for each sector.

The city will focus on inspecting wildfire prevention and fire prevention at multi-use facilities, which have recently caused damage nationwide. It also plans to strengthen on-site inspections to prevent winter accidents at businesses and construction sites.

In addition, measures to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly living alone and people with disabilities will be reinforced in preparation for cold waves. The city will expand protective actions for at-risk households by operating cold wave shelters and conducting visits to households vulnerable to heating issues.

Furthermore, with the recent increase in influenza cases, the city will expand vaccinations to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, strengthen cooperation between public health centers and medical institutions, and conduct inspections of facilities vulnerable to infection.

To prevent water supply pipes from freezing due to cold waves, facility inspections will be intensified. In the event of snowfall, anti-icing agents will be preemptively spread and snow removal equipment will be deployed in advance to prevent traffic congestion.

The city will also strengthen its response to the increasing number of maritime safety accidents in winter, including vessel safety inspections, risk factor checks at fishing ports, and enhanced cooperation with the Coast Guard. In particular, inspections and customized safety measures will be intensified for high-risk sites such as traditional markets, nursing hospitals, and construction sites, where there is a greater risk of casualties.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok emphasized, "We must thoroughly prepare for winter disasters that pose a high risk of casualties, such as wildfires, fires, heavy snow, cold waves, and infectious diseases." He urged, "All departments and related organizations should strengthen cooperative response to minimize damage and inconvenience to citizens."

He added, "I also ask citizens to strictly refrain from outdoor burning activities and to actively participate in preventive measures against winter disasters."

Throughout the winter, the city will operate a 24-hour situation management system, maintaining a joint response system capable of immediate action in case of risk signals, and will make every effort to ensure citizen safety.

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