Preliminary study on the reform of the Rescue Act sent out for comments

The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments the memorandums of the working groups that examined possible needs to amend the Rescue Act. The preliminary study assessed the functioning and clarity of the provisions of the Rescue Act, and whether they are up to date. In addition to the amendments included in the legislative package of the health and social services reform, the preliminary study also examined and assessed what legislative amendments would be needed as a result of the transfer of the responsibility for organising rescue services to wellbeing services counties.

The memorandums of the working groups that were sent out for comments examine the current state and functioning of the existing Rescue Act and present proposals of the working groups for amending the Act. The proposals were prepared through extensive cooperation with operators in the sector.

The preliminary study project explored possible needs for amendments to the Rescue Act from the perspectives of incident and accident prevention and supervision, rescue operations, preparedness and civil defence, as well as of the structure and common provisions of the Act. The proposed amendments are accompanied by reasoned proposals and assessments of their impact and urgency.

“The aim is to reform the Rescue Act to better reflect the operating environment of the rescue services, future developments and the ongoing wellbeing services county reform. This is the first time that the Act has been comprehensively evaluated,” says Mika Kättö, Director of Legislative Affairs.

Preparation will proceed based on feedback received

According to the Government Programme of Prime Minister Marin’s Government, the responsibility for organising rescue services will be transferred to the wellbeing services counties and the Rescue Act will be amended on the basis of a comprehensive analysis.

On 30 December 2019, the Ministry of the Interior set up a preliminary study project on the need to reform the Rescue Act. The purpose of the project was to examine and assess comprehensively possible needs to amend the legislation on the rescue services, which are due, among other things, to the transfer of the responsibility for organising the rescue services to the wellbeing services counties.

The proposals of the working groups will be circulated for comments between 8 April and 31 May 2021. Any legislative amendments will be prepared in a separate legislative project on the basis of the preliminary study and the comments received during the consultation round.

Inquiries
Mika Kättö, Director of Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 477 413, mika.katto@intermin.fi  
Kirsi Rajaniemi, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 432, kirsi.rajaniemi@intermin.fi (incident and accident prevention and supervision)
Janne Koivukoski, Deputy Director General for Rescue Services, tel. +358 295 488 420, janne.koivukoski@intermin.fi (rescue operations)
Jussi Korhonen, Director, Civil Emergency Preparedness, tel. +358 295 488 289, jussi.korhonen@intermin.fi (preparedness and civil defence)
Ilpo Helismaa, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 422, ilpo.helismaa@intermin.fi (structure and common provisions of the Act)