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Rescue operations Rescue operations cover: receiving emergency calls issuing warnings to the public preventing potential accidents or hazards protecting people, property and the environment against danger, and rescuing accident victims extinguishi...

International operations of the rescue services International cooperation with the European Union, United Nations, NATO, the Nordic countries and other neighbouring countries is part of the daily work of the rescue services. Finland may provide in...

Rescue service operators and responsibilities Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respective regions There are 21 regional rescue departments in Finland. Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respectiv...

Government Programme measures to reform rescue services and emergency response centre operations The Government aims to ensure high-quality rescue services throughout the country. Rescue services must be of high quality and carried out in a unifor...

Government Programme measures to reform rescue services and emergency response centre operations The Government aims to ensure high-quality rescue services throughout the country. Rescue services must be of high quality and carried out in a unifor...

Preparedness is the key for the rescue services

Rescue services The Ministry of the Interior guides and directs emergency response centre operations, and prepares related legislation. The aim is to build a safe and crisis-resilient Finland. There are 21 regional rescue departments in Finland, w...

Rescue services reform aimed at improving services Under the Act on Organising Rescue Services, adopted in June 2021, the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki are responsible for organising rescue services from the beginning of 202...

The Border Guard directs maritime search and rescue The Border Guard is the authority responsible for directing maritime search and rescue missions. Maritime search and rescue covers search and rescue of people in distress at sea, provision of pre...

The Border Guard directs maritime search and rescue The Border Guard is the authority responsible for directing maritime search and rescue missions. Maritime search and rescue covers search and rescue of people in distress at sea, provision of pre...

Border management operators and responsibilities Responsibility for performing the duties of the Border Guard rests with nine administrative units. These units are the Border Guard Headquarters (which also operates as the Ministry’s Border Guard D...

8.12.2025 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) have agreed to deepen cooperation across different sectors. The cooperation emphasises support for Ukraine's international civil defence coalition. 

9.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has procured 50,000 litres of foam suitable for extinguishing different types of fires for use by Ukraine’s rescue services. The foam purchase is part of an emergency assistance package coordinated by the Ministry through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The package consists of donations from various sectors of society and targeted procurements.

27.8.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project for the second phase of the Rescue Act reform. The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2025.

11.9.2025 | Finland will host Rescue Borealis 2025, an international exercise bringing together hundreds of experts from Finland and abroad. The exercise strengthens cooperation between authorities in Euro-Arctic and cross-border emergencies. Rescue Borealis 2025 includes a field training exercise that will take place in the Oulu area between 29 September and 3 October 2025.

2.10.2025 | The tense security situation underscores the importance of preparedness, both in the Baltic Sea region and in the Euro-Arctic area. Meeting new threats requires joint exercises and well-functioning processes, as underlined at the Rescue Borealis 2025 international field exercise held in Oulu.

27.3.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has published a nation-wide report on how well the targets set for rescue services and their finances have been achieved in the wellbeing services counties. The report recommends that the counties focus on recruitment of rescuers and preparedness for civil defence. They should also step up their efforts on incident and accident prevention with a view to reducing the number of incidents, accidents and fires across Finland.

18.10.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft proposal on the levels and system of qualifications and degree programmes in rescue services and emergency response centre operations. The draft proposal contains two alternatives for education and training in rescue services and one for education and training in emergency response centre operations. Comments on the draft will be accepted until 14 November 2022.

24.7.2024 | Finland will participate in a rescue service deployment by sending 48 experts in international civil protection to Portugal. These experts will be tasked with helping local authorities manage wildfires. The first of two groups will leave for Portugal at the beginning of August.

21.9.2023 | On Thursday 21 September, the Government appointed Kimmo Kohvakka, Master of Military Science, as Director General for Rescue Services at the Ministry of the Interior for the period from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2028.

9.2.2022 | The final reports of the “Capacity of and planning criteria for rescue services and civil emergency preparedness” project have been published on the Institutional Repository for the Government (Valto). The objective of the project was to produce a basis for the national planning criteria for rescue services and investigate how well the resources and capacity of rescue services and civil emergency preparedness correspond to the operating environment, risks and customer needs. 

14.8.2023 | Finland is deploying the first group of 24 rescue workers on Wednesday 16 August to help Portugal manage wildfires.

17.2.2023 | Finland will send fire engines, an ambulance, a tanker truck and equipment needed for rescue operations to Ukraine on Friday 17 February. These vehicles and equipment were donated by the Rescue Departments of Central Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa. Assistance will be delivered to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

9.10.2023 | The Government will propose an appropriation of approximately EUR 2.5 billion for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior in the 2024 Budget.

17.11.2022 | On 17 November 2022, the Government decided that Finland will take ten asylum seekers rescued by the Ocean Viking vessel that docked in France. Priority will be given to vulnerable asylum seekers.

31.8.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to prepare urgent and necessary amendments to the Rescue Act. The aim is to update the Rescue Act on the basis of a preliminary study and the comments received on it during the consultation round.

8.4.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft proposal for amending the Rescue Act and the Act on the Emergency Services Academy. Comments on the draft will be accepted until 20 May 2022.

8.4.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments the memorandums of the working groups that examined possible needs to amend the Rescue Act. The preliminary study assessed the functioning and clarity of the provisions of the Rescue Act, and whether they are up to date. In addition to the amendments included in the legislative package of the health and social services reform, the preliminary st...

22.9.2022 | The Government proposes several amendments to the Rescue Act and the Act on the Emergency Services Academy. For example, it is proposed that the obligation to purchase and maintain smoke detectors in apartments be transferred from residents to building owners.

24.5.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has submitted the draft equality and non-discrimination action plan for rescue services for statements. The aim of the action plan is rescue services that actively and systematically promote equality in the long term. The draft action plan will be out for comments from 24 May to 30 June 2021.

26.2.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to reform the administration of rescue services. The project will prepare for the implementation of the rescue services reform by developing the national guidance system to meet the requirements of the reform. The goal is to transfer the responsibility for organising rescue services from municipalities to wellbeing services counties in a controlled manner.

11.3.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has decided to send two experts to Bata, Equatorial Guinea, where an explosion at a munitions depot has caused extensive destruction. Equatorial Guinea has requested international assistance in the rescue operations following the explosion accident. The Emergency Services Academy Finland will serve as the employer of the posted experts.

18.11.2021 | In the supplementary budget proposal for 2022, a total increase of EUR 20.4 million is proposed for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior. Appropriations are proposed for the development of the national security authorities’ KEJO common information system (EUR 6.85 million), for the Emergency Response Centre Administration’s information system fees (EUR 1.3 million) and for ...

17.11.2022 | The Government proposes approximately EUR 217 million for the Ministry of the Interior's branch of government in the amendment to the 2023 budget proposal. 

13.5.2015 | Barents Rescue 2015 Exercise in Kittilä this autumn

8.12.2020 | According to the government proposal, the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki would be responsible for organising rescue services in their respective areas starting at the beginning of 2023. Contract fire brigades could be used to provide these services as at present. The role of central government guidance and direction in rescue services would be strengthened.

27.10.2022 | In its fourth supplementary budget for 2022, the Government has proposed a total of EUR 9.0 million in additional funding for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior and EUR 6.0 million in funding outside of the budgeted spending limits for a pilot section of a fence on the eastern border.

28.9.2015 | Barents Rescue -harjoitus kokoaa neljän maan pelastusalan ammattilaiset ja vapaaehtoiset Leville

15.6.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services. The act would lay down provisions on, for example the organisation of rescue services, and the system of management and coordination as well as development and oversight of rescue services.

29.7.2020 | The European Commission has granted significant co-financing to the Oulu-Koillismaa Rescue Department for a high capacity pumping module. The high capacity pumping module is a joint project of four Rescue Departments in northern Finland (Oulu-Koillismaa, Jokilaaksot, Kainuu and Lappi).