Osan City Introduces Nation's First Smart Building Address Plates

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] Osan City announced on the 30th that it has become the first in the nation to introduce 'smart building address plates' that automatically transmit location information to 112 or 119 emergency services with just a smartphone touch.

Applying NFC (near-field communication) technology enables faster and more accurate emergency reporting in urgent situations, expanding the function beyond simply providing an address to enable real-time response capabilities in emergency situations as a safety infrastructure.

The smart building address plate transmits current location information immediately to police and fire departments simply by touching an NFC-enabled smartphone, without requiring wireless Wi-Fi or app installation.

In particular, visibility and accessibility have been enhanced by applying high-luminance reflective material on a white background and adding braille plates.

Starting in June, the city plans to sequentially begin installing the smart address plates in line with demand for replacing outdated building number plates, completing deployment in major areas by year-end.

In particular, in cooperation with Osan Police Station, Osan Fire Station, and the Osan Osaek Market Merchants Association, the city plans to convert address information facilities within Osaek Market to the smart system in the second half of the year.

The necessity of such smart address plates was highlighted through a hotel fire incident that occurred in Bucheon in August of last year. At that time, the caller repeatedly told 119 the building name multiple times, but delays in transmitting location information resulted in delayed rescue operations. The smart building address plates being introduced by Osan City are evaluated as capable of fundamentally resolving such problems.

The city plans to expand the smart building address plate beyond a simple reporting means to also serve as basic infrastructure for urban safety.

Incorporating CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) concepts, which are environmental design techniques that prevent crime in advance, the city plans to focus on creating a living environment where citizens can feel secure.

Meanwhile, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) is a crime prevention strategy through environmental design, referring to an urban planning technique that reduces crime itself by improving urban space design and management as well as physical environments.

Mayor Lee Kwon-jae stated, "The smart address information system will be the fastest and most accurate guide for citizens' safety," and added, "We will make Osan Korea's safest smart city."