Joint action plan for accident prevention for rescue services sent out for comments

A draft for an action plan for accident prevention for the rescue services has been completed. The new action plan defines the national targets for accident prevention and makes it all the more a part of all rescue services activities.

The draft was prepared as a six-month project work with rescue departments, organisations, sector stakeholders and experts by experience. Altogether 67 representatives from different sectors have taken part in the project. The results of the wide cooperation were presented in the project's closing seminar in Helsinki on 15 August.

“Whenever a rescue unit is dispatched to an emergency, we are already late and something is already lost. The best accident is a prevented accident,” said Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo, who opened the seminar.

“Rescue services cannot be successful alone in accident prevention. It is people who are the most important ones in preventing or causing accidents. Emergency and security plans, orders for repairs, security training and various campaigns are not only for authorities, but for people and companies,” said Minister Ohisalo.

The leading themes of the action plan are impact and phenomenon-based and people-oriented approaches. The people-oriented approach means that the interest lies in the needs of people and communities in developing and maintaining security. In the project, this was achieved by interviewing organisations representing different population groups and ordinary people at airport and in social media.

“In addition to supervision and public security communication, accident prevention means sparking conversation, supporting and meeting people. The action plan has put particular weight on security education of children and young people, development of cooperation and a stronger sense of caring,” says Kimmo Kohvakka, Director General for Rescue Services.

Aim is secure daily life without accidents

The mission for the action plan for accident prevention is secure and accident-free daily life in 2025. The related sub-targets are strengthening the experience of safety, increasing people's skills and independent initiative, ensuring availability of services and developing shared work. 

The targets can be reached by using the entire range of options in security work, such as supervision, security education and communication, research, expert services, activation and social impact. To implement the action plan, a national coordination group consisting of representatives of rescue services will be built for coordination and monitoring. The coordination group will work together with different stakeholders at the national level.

The action plan project was a follow-up to the rescue services reform project, which identified a distinct need for defining the national targets for accident prevention. The action plan responds to a number of strategic challenges of internal security and rescue services.

Comments on the action plan are requested to be submitted electronically in the Lausuntopalvelu.fi service or by email to [email protected] by 30 September 2019. The final version of the action plan and its translations into Swedish and English will be published in late 2019.

Inquiries:

Jari Lepistö, Senior Officer for Rescue Services, tel. +358 295 488 218, [email protected]