Objectives of the reform

Towards effective and harmonised rescue services throughout Finland

The aim of the Ministry of the Interior is to implement the administrative reform in such a way that the level and standard of rescue services will improve. 

Further objectives:

• Rescue services will be a separate sector working in parallel with the healthcare and social welfare sector.
• The parallel nature of the sector must be clearly reflected, for example, in the preparation of the act on the funding of wellbeing services counties
• Rescue services must be organised in such a way that the rescue services can operate as a national system if necessary (e.g. in disasters and under emergency conditions). This requires a more effective guidance and management system. 
• Synergies between the rescue services of the wellbeing services counties (rescue operations) and health and social services (prehospital emergency medical services) must be secured in such a way that the rescue department of the county can provide emergency medical services.
• The preparations by the wellbeing services counties must take into account the implementation of all the tasks of the rescue services (prevention of incidents and accidents, rescue operations, civil defence).
• The funding must be prepared in such a way that the wellbeing services counties will have, as a rule, sufficient funding for both the health and social services and the rescue services.
• The transfer of rescue service personnel from employment by the municipalities to the wellbeing services counties must be well managed and carried out in accordance with the same principles as the transfer of duties of personnel in health and social services.

Objectives for reforming rescue services and civil emergency preparedness

1. ensure equal, customer-oriented and high-quality rescue services throughout the country,
2. ensure wide-ranging cooperation with other parties,
3. implement an efficient and cost-effective service structure, 
4. gain synergies from the close links between rescue services and prehospital emergency medical services,
5. enhance the effectiveness and quality of the service reform.