The basic tasks of the Rescue Department include the prevention of fires and other accidents, rescue operations, emergency medical services, and improving preparedness.
Rescue operations include receiving emergency calls, warning the public, preventing potential accidents, protecting people, property and the environment against danger, and rescuing accident victims. Rescue operations thus include fire-fighting and rescue tasks and limiting damage. The operations, equipment and special competence of the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department have been scaled to meet the requirements of the risk sites in the region.
The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department provides first response and emergency medical services in 10 municipalities in line with the cooperation agreement concluded with the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS).
One of the main tasks of the Rescue Department is to improve the safety of people and to reduce the number of accidents. The core tasks related to accident prevention are guiding, advising and training people as well as supervisory tasks. Every citizen can contribute to the prevention of accidents.
The purpose of supervisory activities is to promote a good safety culture in the region and to reduce damage to property and personal injuries caused by fires.
The objective of public safety communication is to improve people’s knowledge and skills related to safety issues as well as their ability to prepare for different emergency situations.
Preparedness refers to activities aimed at securing disruption-free operational capability and any exceptional measures potentially needed in abnormal and emergency conditions.
In the Western Uusimaa region, there are volunteers working for more than 40 contract fire brigades (VPK) as well as part-time fire-fighters in Tenhola and Hanko. Approximately 1,000 people work for the contract fire brigades. They contribute to rescue operations and public safety communication (e.g. advice, training, public events).
According to the Rescue Act, rescue departments must draw up external emergency plans for sites posing a particular hazard in cooperation with the relevant business and industrial operators.
