Amid a major heat wave alert in effect across Seoul, Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon on Tuesday inspected whether the district's heat wave measures were working effectively on the ground.
Jin convened a senior staff meeting at the district office conference hall, with all department heads in attendance, to review the tiered response system for heat wave advisories and each department's implementation progress.
The meeting followed an emergency session Monday, when Jin summoned division and bureau chiefs along with the heat wave response task force to issue strong directives on targeted care for vulnerable residents and safety measures for outdoor workers. Tuesday's session again underscored the need for practical, field-level response.
"We must continuously check and manage whether practical heat wave measures that residents can feel in their daily lives are actually working in the field," Jin said.
He particularly urged staff to "regularly check on elderly residents, people with disabilities and other heat-vulnerable groups, and thoroughly monitor whether outdoor workers' heat illness prevention measures are being followed."
The district has raised its heat wave response to the highest level and is devoting all resources to protecting residents' safety.
It currently operates 195 cooling centers — including senior centers, welfare centers, community service centers and rest facilities for mobile workers. Of those, 163, including senior centers and welfare centers, have been designated as cooling shelters specifically for elderly residents to make them more accessible to heat-vulnerable groups.
The district plans to extend operating hours at some shelters in line with heat wave advisories and to conduct regular inspections of their operations.
The district is also focusing on promoting heat illness prevention guidelines so residents can recognize dangerous conditions and respond quickly. It plans to disseminate heat wave safety tips continuously through the district office's SNS channels, emergency text alerts and other platforms.
Additional measures include expanded water-spraying truck operations, stepped-up patrols in areas prone to homelessness, and heat illness prevention campaigns at small construction sites.
"The most important thing is that the tiered response measures for heat wave advisories actually work in the field," Jin said. "I ask every department, including the heat wave response task force, to scrutinize — even to the point of excess — whether our heat wave measures are being carried out properly."
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