Embattled Emergency Response Centre head resigns

Timo Vuola

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Jyrki Landstedt, Director-General of the Emergency Response Centre Administration, is leaving his post. Interior Minister Kari Rajamäki (SDP) announced on Wednesday that Landstedt feels that he is not able to continue at his post under present circumstances.
      At a nearly hour-long press conference on the problems of the Emergency Response Centre Administration, Rajamäki said that a severe lack of confidence has prevailed between Finland’s regional emergency response centres and the administration.
      Landstedt will be transferred to a post in the rescue services operations of the State Provincial Office of Western Finland.
      Landstedt will be provisionally replaced by Pori Police Chief Timo Vuola. A permanent replacement is to be decided later.
     
Rajamäki emphasised on Wednesday that the Ministry of the Interior began to work on the problems at the administration already before the heads of 14 regional ERCs issued an appeal for Landstedt’s removal. Rajamäki said that he had ordered the formation of a special administrative team in August to examine the problems affecting the Emergency Response Centre Administration.
      According to an investigation at the Ministry of the Interior, the crisis at the Emergency Response Centre Administration is not just about issues concerning one man; problems were also seen in the regional ERCs. According to the ministry, the working atmosphere was bad.
      "We are not handing out clean papers to others either. The relations of the central unit and the regional centres were not what they should have been", said Ritva Viljanen, a top ministry official.
     
To eliminate the problems, the Ministry of the Interior plans to increase call centre staff, and provide additional training. To improve the activities of the Emergency Response Centre Administration, a proposal has been put forward for additional funding of EUR 1.5 million already this year.
      The Ministry of the Interior presented a long list of other measures aimed at improving the activities of the centres. These include upgrading on-the-job training and counselling, and imposing an obligation to report on actions that have been taken. The Department for Rescue Services will get a new unit responsible for "direction of results".
      There is no intention of reshuffling managers of regional ERCs. Pentti Partanen, Director-General of Rescue Services at the Ministry of the Interior said that it is not that easy to shuffle around civil servants.
      "We have held thorough discussions with regional heads, and we believe that they will be able to improve their behaviour", Partanen said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Minister reprimands officials responsible for rescue services (29.9.2006)

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