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When must a public event have an emergency plan?

The Rescue Act requires the organiser of an event to draw up an emergency plan for public events and other events where, due to the large number of participants or for some other special reason, there is a significant risk to personal safety or fire safety. The Government Decree on Rescue Services specifies that an emergency plan must be prepared for public or other events in the following circumstances:

  • at least 200 people are expected to be present at the same time;
  • naked flames, fireworks or other pyrotechnic products will be used or flammable or explosive chemicals will be used for special effects;
  • the event site has unusual exit arrangements; or
  • the nature of the event causes particular danger.

The emergency plan for a public event can be included as part of the event’s comprehensive safety plan, which also deals with other safety issues, such as security and traffic arrangements.

Contents

The dangers and risks concerning the event must be detailed and assessed in the emergency plan. They are used as a basis for defining safety arrangements for the personnel responsible for carrying out the event and instructions to be issued to the audience on how to prevent accidents and what action to take in the event of accidents, incidents or dangerous situations.

The emergency plan must specify how the organiser will implement the self-preparedness obligations specified in the Rescue Act, in which the owner, occupants and operators of a building must, for their part

  1. prevent fires and other dangerous situations,
  2. prepare for the protection of persons, property and the environment in dangerous situations,
  3. prepare for extinguishing fires and taking other such rescue action which they are capable of performing independently, and
  4. take measures to ensure safe exit during fires and in other dangerous situations and to facilitate rescue operations.

Submitting the plan to the rescue department

Submit the plan to the rescue department no later than 14 days before the start of the event. Please ask your local rescue department for a plan template and contact information for submitting the emergency plan.

Read more:

Rescue Act (379/2011), section 16
Government Decree on Rescue Services (407/2011), section 3 (in Finnish)
Self-preparedness obligations specified in section 14 of the Rescue Act