Half of properties in Finland still lack statutory rescue plans

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Under the new Rescue Services Act that entered into force in 2004, all properties, including housing companies, condominiums, and tenant houses, were requested to draw up a rescue plan for each building with five or more apartments by January 1st 2005, as well as to name and train the persons in charge of the safety of each building.
     
This request also applies to all nursing homes and institutions, shopping centres, meeting places, and business premises with at least 30 employees.
     
Many housing companies are still lacking the requested plan. For example in Helsinki and Tampere, only half of the properties with five or more apartments have so far completed the plan and sent a summary of it to the local rescue department.
      As for meeting and business premises, the situation is even worse.
      "We do not plan to impose any sanctions yet, but will try to give guidance and training first", says Simo Weckstén of the City of Helsinki Rescue Department. Finland is not a place where such neglect is even excusable; deaths by fire were at a record level last year, for example, and are significantly higher than in many other European countries.
      In Turku, a total of 35-40% of the rescue plans are late, whereas in the province of Northern Savo a plan for what to do and where to go in an emergency has been completed for as many as 70% of all buildings.
      According to Jukka Koponen of the North Savo Rescue Services District, various nursing homes and institutions have been the first to complete their rescue plans.
      If the plan has been neglected and a fire occurs, it is ultimately the board of the housing company that will bear responsibility, and not the residents.
     
"The new Rescue Services Act should have alerted the boards of housing companies", says Alpo Nikula of the Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK). The Managing Director of the association, Ilkka Kianto, expects that the number of persons to be trained annually will be double that of previous years - at least 1,000 in the course of the current year.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Record number of fire deaths occurred in Finland in 2004 (27.1.2005)

Links:
  The City of Helsinki Rescue Department

Helsingin Sanomat