Helsinki’s emergency response centre services unable to meet all performance targets

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Three densely populated areas in Helsinki are posing a challenge to the capital’s emergency response centre (ERC) services, with respect to the targets set for their operations.
      One of these areas is the district of Lauttasaari, as the route from the Erottaja fire station to Lauttasaari is frequently very jammed with traffic.
      Sometimes even the districts of Malminkartano and Konala in Northwestern Helsinki cause trouble.
      The third problematic area is the entire northern part of the capital.
     
The ERC Administration aims at reaching the first-priority destinations in six minutes at least in 50 per cent of call-out cases.
      In 2007, the ERC units managed to meet the set performance target in about 42 per cent of all fire and rescue cases, while the ambulances managed to reach the incident-scene - a patient to be resuscitated - in well over 10 minutes, instead of the targeted 8 minutes.
     
The increasing number of recorded tasks puts a further strain on the capital’s ERC units. For example, the number of patient transportations increased almost by 25 per cent from 2005 to 2007.
      Moreover, the turnover of ERC employees has been high, and the new emergency duty officers, who have been given a two-week crash course in emergency centre functions, sometimes alert rescue services too readily. Obviously, they are having difficulties in assessing each situation in line with instructions providing the predetermined urgent task classes and prioritization.
     
The Helsinki ERC hopes that in the future the capital could have four new fire stations.
      It has been suggested that a new station is urgently needed in Ruoholahti, close to the bridge across to the island of Lauttasaari. Further fire stations would be located in Laajasalo, Kivikko, and Lassila, while a new location is also proposed for the present Malmi fire station somewhat furher north.
     
Another challenge will be posed by the Sipoo area, when the western parts of the municipality of Sipoo have been linked with the City of Helsinki.
      In order to be operative, the planned new fire stations would requre more than 200 new employees. The present number of posts is 450.
     
Helsinki fire services were busy on Sunday night, too, as a blaze in a three-storey apartment block in Haaga led to a couple of dozen residents being evacuated.
      The attic floor was completely destroyed and the top floor apartments were severly damaged in the fire on Kylätie.
      There were no reported injuries.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki´s emergency response centre receives 1,400 calls a day on average; 80 are for sleeping drunks (23.10.2007)
  Report suggests Helsinki rescue services at critical level (17.6.2005)

Links:
  Emergency Response Centre Administration

Helsingin Sanomat