Have a safe 112 day!

On 11 February, we celebrate 112 Day, a day dedicated to the emergency number 112. The purpose of 112 Day is to raise people’s awareness of what everyday safety is and how it can be promoted. In 2024, the theme of 112 Day is ‘How to use the emergency number correctly’.

Finland has only one emergency number – 112. It is the number that you should call in emergencies or when you need urgent assistance from the authorities. In this context, an emergency means a situation in which people’s lives, health, property or the environment are under threat or in danger. The emergency number should not be called for information purposes, about non-urgent matters with the authorities or about disturbances where no one is at risk (such as power outages or a fallen tree on a road).
When you call 112, the Emergency Response Centre operator will ask you all the necessary questions. All you have to do is listen carefully and answer the questions as best you can. The Emergency Response Centre operator will also advise you on what you should do.
It is a good idea to download the free-of-charge 112 Suomi mobile app on all your family members’ phones. The app includes a great deal of good safety information and many important phone numbers that you can call for help, for example. When you make an emergency call through the app, your location information is always automatically transmitted to the Emergency Response Centre. This can be useful especially in situations where you do not know exactly where you are. 

Refresh your safety skills

In emergencies, it is important for the people on-site to know what to do before the authorities arrive. Would you know how to act in different emergencies? If you feel that you need to refresh your knowledge and skills, sign up for our training sessions! 
Helsinki City Rescue Department organises free-of-charge safety training sessions that are open to everyone. The training sessions will teach you how to identify and avoid risks at home and at the workplace, how to act in different emergencies and accidents and how to prepare for disruptions. Of course, you will also get to practise your first aid extinguishing skills.
The fire safety lectures (2 hours) are held as Teams sessions, making them easy to join from anywhere. The first aid extinguishing training sessions are held at our rescue stations in Haaga and Mellunkylä. The date of the training sessions and sign-up instructions (in Finnish) are available on the Rescue Department’s website.