Seoul Metropolitan Government promulgates ordinance on fire prevention and response in large-scale underground spaces

Subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep-road tunnels to be mapped in 3D and shared with fire authorities

'Measure aims to strengthen response to smoke, toxic gases and long evacuation routes — takes effect Jan. 1'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to build three-dimensional digital maps and an integrated information system shared with relevant agencies to enable rapid response to fires in large, complex underground spaces such as subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep-road vehicle tunnels. Commuters wait for a train at Seoul Station on Line 1. [Yonhap]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to build three-dimensional digital maps and an integrated information system shared with relevant agencies to enable rapid response to fires in large, complex underground spaces such as subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep-road vehicle tunnels. Commuters wait for a train at Seoul Station on Line 1. [Yonhap]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to build three-dimensional digital maps and an integrated information system with relevant agencies to enable rapid response to fires in large, complex underground spaces such as subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep-road vehicle tunnels.

The city announced Tuesday that it had promulgated the "Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Fire Prevention and Response in Large-Scale Underground Spaces" on Thursday. The ordinance takes effect Jan. 1.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council's Urban Safety and Construction Committee had earlier proposed the ordinance in August — the first of its kind in the country. The committee said at the time that Seoul's underground spaces had expanded over decades into large-scale facilities including subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep underground expressways, but that their enclosed structures and complex interconnections made it difficult to fight fires quickly and evacuate residents safely.

The new ordinance defines the facilities subject to underground space management as subway stations and underground shopping centers used by the general public, as well as vehicle-only underground roads installed at depths of 20 meters or more. It allows the city to produce 3D digital maps of these facilities within its budget to enable faster and more accurate initial responses when fires break out.

The ordinance also requires the establishment of an integrated information system linking facility managers with fire departments and other fire-response agencies. Facility owners, managers and other related parties must actively cooperate by providing structural drawings and other information needed to build the 3D maps and integrated system.

The initiative is a safety measure responding to Seoul's increasingly expansive and complex underground infrastructure. According to the city, subway stations, underground shopping centers and deep underground roads have become core urban infrastructure, but their growing density and interconnectedness are creating new fire hazards. The enclosed structures and intricate passageways of underground spaces allow smoke and toxic gases to spread rapidly in the event of a fire.

Particularly concerning is the potential for a major fire to cause secondary damage to surrounding urban infrastructure such as electricity, gas and communications systems, the city said, underscoring the need for careful management.

Going forward, Seoul plans to establish a separate fire prevention and response plan for large-scale underground spaces. The plan will cover the location and purpose of each facility, the installation and management status of fire-suppression equipment, fire prevention and response measures, public outreach and education, and joint drills involving facility managers and relevant agencies.

The city will also step up on-site response drills, conducting initial-response exercises with underground space managers and fire departments, as well as firefighting and response training for fire brigades. Facility managers and related agencies will be required to cooperate fully.


ikson@heraldcorp.com