The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department is one of 22 rescue departments in Finland. The department provides rescue services for municipalities in the Western Uusimaa region.
Our services include:
- rescue operations
- emergency medical care
- fire inspections
- chemicals control
- fire investigation
- safety training and communication
- contract fire brigade operations.
The administration, situation centre and headquarters of the Rescue Department are located at the central fire station in Espoo’s Sepänkylä district.
The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department has 12 permanent fire stations. Five of them are located in Espoo. The other stations are located in Hanko, Karjaa (Raseborg), Karkkila, Kirkkonummi, Lohja, Nummela (Vihti) and Tammisaari (Raseborg). The permanent fire stations are on constant stand-by.
In addition to the permanent fire stations, there are more than 40 contract fire brigades operating in the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department’s region.
Organisation
The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department became part of the organisation of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County 1.1.2023Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. The Rescue Department is led by the CEO of Rescue Services.
The Rescue Department is divided into the following service units:
- Planning and direction
- Service production
- Support unit
Service production is divided into the following regions:
- Western service region
- Eastern service region
- Northern service region.
Strategy
Values
Our values include acting:
- professionally,
- humanely,
- reliably and
- in cooperation.
Mission
We improve the safety of people and reduce the number of accidents:
- We provide advice, guidance, training and inspections.
- We save lives and property, protect the environment and respond to emergencies.
- We are always on duty.
Vision 2030
- We are reliable and valued professionals.
- We have improved the safety of our environment. We operate in a customer-oriented manner.
- Our personnel is committed, motivated and thriving.
Strategic objectives
- To boldly and purposefully develop our activities and foster a culture of experimentation.
- To assess and develop the quality of our operations.
- To ensure that our resources meet the performance requirements.
- To support the professional development of our personnel.
- To promote the well-being of our personnel and strengthen internal cooperation.
- To improve our management system and the sustainability of our operations.
Administration
The region comprises the following 10 municipalities: Espoo, Hanko, Lohja, Ingå, Siuntio, Karkkila, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi, Raseborg and Vihti.
The Preparedness and Safety Committees tasksLink to an external website, Opens in a new tab
The administrative regulationsLink to an external website, Opens in a new tab of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (in Finnish).
Decision-making
You can find more information on the Rescue Department’s decision-making process in the administrative regulations of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services CountyLink to an external website, Opens in a new tab (in Finnish).
The Preparedness and Safety Committee Link to an external website, Opens in a new tabof the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County.
Decision on the standard of service
The operations and development of the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department are based on the decision on the standard of service as referred to in the Rescue Act.
ccording to the Rescue Act, regional rescue services decide on the standard of service after hearing the opinions of the municipalities. The standard of service of rescue services must correspond to local needs and threats. The decision must specify the threats in the region and assess the risks arising from them, and also determine the objectives of the operations, the available resources and services and the standard of service. The decision on the standard of service must also contain a plan for the further development of the standard of service. The decision will remain in force for a specific period of time.
According to the Administrative Regulations of the City of Espoo, the decision on the standard of service of the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department is made by the Board of the Rescue Department.
The decision on the standard of service of the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department, in FinnishFile opens in a new tab
Risk analysis of Uusimaa rescue services
The Helsinki and Uusimaa rescue services have prepared a joint risk analysis. It describes the main risks in the area of operation of rescue services.
Risk analysis of Uusimaa rescue services, in FinnishFile opens in a new tab
