Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o attended a training session Friday afternoon for volunteers who will operate the district's "Healing Refrigerator" heatwave response program, encouraging community disaster prevention corps members who will staff the initiative on the ground. The session was held at 2 p.m. in the small auditorium on the sixth floor of the Nowon-gu district office.
The Healing Refrigerator program provides free chilled water to residents along major walking paths and riverside areas during summer to prevent heat-related illness. This year, the program is set to run for about a month from July 22 to Aug. 20 at 18 locations — 11 walking trails and seven riverside spots frequented by residents.
About 200 people attended the session, including civil servants from each neighborhood office and community disaster prevention corps members. The program proceeded in order: a training video screening, remarks from the district mayor, and hands-on practical instruction.
Participants completed systematic practical training to prepare for a range of situations they may encounter in the field. The curriculum covered proper water replenishment and distribution procedures, collection of empty bottles and upkeep of the surrounding environment and facilities, resident interaction and hygiene management, rapid emergency response and reporting when a heat illness case is suspected, and safety measures in the event of severe weather such as heavy rain or strong winds.
"Based on today's preparatory training, I hope you will put your best effort into field operations so that residents can use the Healing Refrigerator with confidence," Seo said. "We will continue to respond proactively to extreme heat driven by climate change and steadily expand lifestyle-oriented heatwave measures that residents can feel in their daily lives."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
