Accidents happen unexpectedly and can affect anyone. Certain types of accidents require specialist assistance and services. Functioning rescue services can be, and often are, a matter of life and death. Help must be available when it is needed.
Equal access to rescue services throughout the country and sufficient rescue service personnel are critical prerequisites to ensure our safety and preparedness. It is essential for those needing assistance to be able to communicate with rescue personnel, so the availability of enough personnel who can conduct their work in both the national languages must be secured. The Swedish-language emergency services training in Helsinki must be safeguarded. Contract fire departments, volunteer fire departments and voluntary maritime search and rescue operators play an important role within the rescue services, especially in sparsely populated areas.
SFP wants:
- to ensure rescue services are available all around the country within a reasonable response time
- that everyone can get an ambulance when they need it
- that enough rescue personnel are trained in both national languages
- to support and encourage the youth activities of the volunteer fire departments
- that the operations of contract fire departments, volunteer fire departments and voluntary maritime search and rescue operators are reinforced to ensure equal availability of rescue services in all parts of the country
- to prevent violence against rescue personnel, so they can safely conduct their jobs
- to ensure emergency response centres and operator training are functional in both national languages
- to ensure the rescue services have clear processes in place for preventing, reporting and dealing with sexual harassment
