Emergency warning

Emergency warnings alert the public

An emergency warning may be issued to warn the public if:

there is a threat to life or health or the environment
property is at risk of destruction or significant damage

If necessary, the emergency warning gives instructions on how you can protect yourself from a dangerous incident or its consequences and how you can avoid hazardous situations. This way, an emergency warning also supports citizens’ self-preparedness.

An emergency warning may be issued by the following authorities:

Rescue authorities
Police departments
Border Guard authorities
Emergency Response Centre Administration
National Police Board
National units under the National Police Board
Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Finnish Transport Agency
Finnish Transport Safety Agency
Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira)
National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira)
Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
All ministries

The authorities most important method to warn peolple is an emergency warning, which is always issued as the public warning signal goes off. The emergency warning is read out on the radio and displayed on teletext page 112 and, if necessary, on television as running text at top of the screen. The emergency warning is also published through the 112 Suomi mobile app, the YLE Uutisvahti news feed application and on the pelastustoimi.fi and 112.fi sites.

Download 112 Suomi application

Downloading the 112 Suomi application on your smartphone is highly recommended. In addition to the emergency warninig, the application also receives other regional bulletins. Also the application contains important safety information. Calling the emergency number through the application enables the emergency response centre to automatically locate the caller, which makes it easier for the assistance to reach its destination. More information about the 112 Suomi mobile application.

Do not believe everything you read on the social media and check the source of the information you find there!

Informing the public about incidents that affect emergency communications

According to a recommendation issued by the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, telecommunications companies should inform the public of any incidents that affect the communications network as well as network and telecommunications services that are important for emergency calls. In major unexpected incidents, the Emergency Response Centre may give an emergency warning to tell the public that emergency communications have been blocked.