Responsibility for rescue services

The responsibility for the various functions of Finnish rescue services is divided between the State and regional rescue departments. The State rescue authorities are the Ministry of the Interior and State Provincial Offices. Regional rescue departments are responsible for rescue services in their area. Furthermore, Finnish municipalities have a statutory duty to organise rescue services together in rescue service regions. There are 22 rescue service regions in Finland.

The Ministry of the Interior’s Department for Rescue Services directs and oversees Finnish rescue services and their availability and standard, is in charge of the preparedness and organisation of rescue services at the national level, and coordinates the activities of various ministries in the field of rescue services. The Advisory Committee on Rescue Services assists the Ministry of the Interior in planning, developing and monitoring rescue services.

The Rescue Departments of State Provincial Offices direct and oversee rescue services in provinces.

Regional rescue services are responsible for:

Safety is cooperation

Many other authorities and bodies besides rescue authorities have a duty to take part in rescue operations and civil defence in Finland. These authorities and bodies, listed in the Rescue Act (468/2003), are: the Emergency Response Centre Administration, Finnish Police, Frontier Guard, Finnish Defence Forces, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, National Public Health Institute, National Agency for Medicines, National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, National Authority for Medicolegal Affairs, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Ministry of the Environment, Finnish Environment Institute, Regional Environment Centres, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, state enterprise for forestry Metsähallitus, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Civil Aviation Administration, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Maritime Administration, Finnish Rail Administration, Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, State Provincial Offices, and the offices and agencies in charge of the various branches of local authorities.

Voluntary activities

A whole host of voluntary activities performed by persons and organisations can also be involved in rescue services. Rescue authorities may also assign training, advice, and educational duties to rescue service organisations.

Each person has responsibilities

The Rescue Act contains several provisions that are binding on citizens. These include the duty of care with respect to preventing fires and other accidents, as well as a universal duty to act in the event of an accident. Each person is also obliged to install a smoke detector in his or her dwelling.

Page modified: 21.4.2008