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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 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...

Departments and units Police Department The Police Department deals with matters concerning the police administration under the National Police Board, combating crime, public order and security, licencing, firearms, gambling policy, the private se...

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...

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...

Contact information of the management, departments and units Email addresses are in the format [email protected] , unless otherwise indicated. Management Mari Rantanen, Minister of the Interior, tel. +358 295 418 800 Matti Sarasmaa, Permanent Secr...

Preparedness is the key for the rescue services

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.

17.3.2025 | Finland will host Rescue Borealis 2025, a Nordic exercise focusing on the Euro-Arctic cross-border cooperation involving rescue services in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Rescue Borealis 2025 includes a field training exercise that will take place near Oulu between 29 September and 3 October 2025.

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.

31.3.2026 | The authorities and the state leadership are monitoring changes in the security situation, assessing future risks and ensuring that our society continues to function in all circumstances. Finland is not currently facing a military threat. 

Foresight is key to fire safety The Ministry of the Interior prepares all legislation related to fire safety. The Rescue Act and other statutes obligate the owners and users of buildings to ensure fire safety. Building owners and users must evalua...

Joint EU reserve: rescEU The European Union’s rescEU system consists of reserves designed to prepare for various disasters. There are two rescEU stockpiles in Finland: the rescEU CBRN Stockpile , which prepares for chemical (C), biological (B), ra...

Small ministry, large branch of government The National Police Board and the Finnish Immigration Service operate under the Ministry of the Interior. The agencies provide guidance within their scope of activities. The Finnish Border Guard is respon...

Management and organisation The Ministry of the Interior is headed by the Minister of the Interior and the Permanent Secretary, who is the most senior official. There are five departments at the Ministry: Police Department Department for Rescue Se...

Laptops for Ukraine campaign The Europe-wide Laptops for Ukraine campaign is being utilised to collect ICT devices and give them a new life, for example, in the hands of a Ukrainian schoolchildren, teachers or nurses. The attacks on Ukraine's crit...

Accident prevention is a joint effort