Civil defence

Rescue authorities take precautions to protect people and property in the event of an emergency. The activities of government offices and agencies and production plants essential to maintain the proper functioning of society must also be safeguarded. The responsibility for civil defence managed by public authorities in Finland rests with several authorities.

In addition to the activities of the authorities, civil defence involves the self-preparedness of companies and other organisations, property owners, and citizens.

In normal conditions, civil defence preparedness includes:

The Ministry of the Interior Department for Rescue Services is responsible for steering civil defence planning. The Department issues instructions to the authorities on civil defence preparedness and ensures the required collaboration. At regional level, Regional Administrative Agencies have the same responsibility.

The Ministry of the Interior and Regional State Administrative Agencies may order civil defence managers and other specialist civil defence personnel to participate in civil defence training. State and municipal officeholders are responsible for carrying out the civil defence duties associated with their posts, preparing for the duties, and for taking part in relevant training.

Regional rescue services collaborate with the municipalities of the region to draft plans for protecting the population. Furthermore, they maintain the readiness of their own organisation for civil defence duties, and ensure self-preparedness for exceptional circumstances. The rescue, first-aid, ambulance service and supply groups needed for civil defence purposes are not set up until an emergency arises.

Command centres equipped with communications links are built during normal conditions. In emergency conditions, the Ministry of the Interior, Regional State Administrative Agencies, and rescue service regions will bring these centres into use. Each municipality must also build a command centre that can function during any emergency situation.

In new development projects, property owners must include a civil defence shelter in buildings of at least 600 m2. If necessary, municipalities must build a public shelter to protect the occupants of each protection target. In this context, ‘protected target’ means an area or place that is likely to be attacked in the event of danger.

Civil defence shelters must afford protection from radiation, gases and conventional weapons. Finland has civil defence shelters for 3.6 million people (67%) in 44,000 separate civil defence shelters. The public civil defence shelters can house 110,000 people. There typically are no civil defence shelters in rural areas and estates with single-family homes. The monetary value of civil defence shelters is EUR 4 billion. 90% of the civil defence shelters are built from reinforced concrete while constructing the buildings in which they are located. The remaining 10% are shelters excavated in bedrock that can house several thousand people. These are jointly used by housing companies. The building of civil defence shelters has continued over a period of 50 years in Finland. The shelters are located in residential and public buildings. 40% of the shelters are associated with workplaces and 60% with homes. In normal conditions, civil defence shelters are used for various other purposes. Shelters in residential buildings are used as storage space for the residents, and shelters excavated in bedrock as sports facilities and multi-storey car parks.

Page modified: 9.6.2010