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Research and Development activities

The Kymenlaakso Rescue Department is an active and innovative participant in the development and project activities within the rescue sector. In addition to continuously improving our internal operations, we actively engage in both national and international projects that promote expertise, operational capacity, and safety in the rescue field. We collaborate closely with other organizations to ensure that our projects deliver relevant and sustainable solutions.

Thesis projects

The Kymenlaakso Rescue Department offers thesis opportunities for, for example, students in rescue and safety fields. Feel free to get in touch, and let’s see if we have a suitable research opportunity for you!

Thesis requests are received by the Chief of Development Merisade Kuusela, 044 702 6215, merisade.kuusela@kymenhva.fi.

Ongoing projects

MARISEC (2024-2026)
New technologies supporting environmental damage response on Baltic Sea coasts.

The objective of the project is to promote cooperation between the Baltic Sea states and at the national level, as well as to improve preparedness for combating hazardous substances along coastal areas. Another goal is to strengthen the expertise and resilience of authorities in these countries in tackling environmental hazards by utilizing the latest technology, such as risk analytics and simulations. The project will gather and test the latest oil spill response technologies to support current capabilities. The project involves authorities, environmental hazard experts, research and educational institutions, as well as representatives of the supply security field.

The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The responsible ministry for the project is the Ministry of the Interior.

For more information contact MARISEC project manager Lauri Hanski, +358 44 702 6218, lauri.hanski@kymenhva.fi or visit Marisec project-page.

DIGIMARIS
Digital solutions for the harmonized and cost-effective Finnish-Estonian marine response service.

DIGIMARIS aims to improve the cross-border oil spill response performance between Finland and Estonia in the Gulf of Finland. Digital solutions, such as sensors, robots, and simulators, offer significant potential for the efficient and safe implementation and development of services. DIGIMARIS focuses on developing these solutions and strengthening the operational capacity of marine oil spill response organizations in the Gulf of Finland, both at the national and cross-border levels. The project develops the use of robotics and digital monitoring, particularly for unmanned surface vessels (USVs) equipped with modern sensors that support effective oil spill monitoring, assessment, and response. The project supports the rapid formation of situational awareness and first response actions during response operations.

The project is implemented by the Maritime Safety and Traffic Research Center Merikotka, the Kymenlaakso Rescue Department, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, TalTech, and the Estonian State Fleet.

The project is funded by Interreg / Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027.

Completed projects

PEL-ARVI-HOIVA (2023-2024)
Development of Quantitative Fire Safety Assessment for Diversifying Care Facility Environments.

The aim of the project was to improve the quantitative assessment of fire and evacuation safety in care facility environments by producing an evaluation procedure based on research-based knowledge that supports data-driven decision-making. The assessment procedure was built on the results obtained from previous research on evacuation safety in care facilities (ToPo), fire studies of decommissioned care facilities, and the application of 3D building models. The project combined these research results in a new way, aiming to develop a quantifiable and simulative evaluation procedure for assessing fire and evacuation safety in evolving and changing care facility environments, as well as for enhancing safety management. The project improved the safety of both the residents and staff in care facilities, while strengthening the ability of rescue authorities to assess the fire and evacuation safety of increasingly diverse care facility sites.

The project was implemented by the South Karelia Rescue Department, South Karelia Wellbeing Area, Kymenlaakso Rescue Department, Kymenlaakso Wellbeing Area, Aalto University, LUT University, LAB University of Applied Sciences, and South Karelia Wellbeing Area’s SOTE.

The project was funded by the Fire Safety Fund.

Are you interested in project or development cooperation with the Kymenlaakso Rescue Department? Contact our Chief of Development Merisade Kuusela, +358 44 702 6215, merisade.kuusela@kymenhva.fi