Instructions for preparing for incidents and crises have been compiled in the Suomi.fi online service
The new Preparing for incidents and crises guide aimed at the entire population has been published in Suomi.fi. The guide was drawn up under the Ministry of the Interior’s leadership in cooperation with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and an extensive cooperation network. The Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK) contributed to the network’s efforts.
The Suomi.fi Preparing for incidents and crises guide deals with situations that would have a broad impact on society and communities.
Situations that require preparation include long power cuts, water outages and interruptions in telecommunications, extreme weather phenomena and major accidents, and longer-term crises, such as a pandemic or military conflict. In addition to instructions, the guide also contains information on hybrid and information influence activities, the maintenance of personal functional capacity and coping during crises and helping others.
The new preparedness guide brings together information and instructions from various organisations in one place. One of the key sources is the 72 hours preparedness guideline developed by authorities and non-governmental organisations. The 72 hours preparedness communication is coordinated by SPEK and funded by the National Emergency Supply Agency.
The guide published on Suomi.fi is broader in scope than the 72hours.fi website maintained by SPEK and highlights the role of authorities. The 72 hours guidelines provide essential information on preparedness for all citizens in a compact format.
You can only prepare in advance
Preparedness means preparing for various incidents and crises and emergency conditions in advance. As a result, the Suomi.fi preparedness guide is also intended for familiarisation in situations with no ongoing incidents in society.
If something extraordinary happens, everyone’s preparedness and actions affect how well people will be able to cope and also help others close to them. When people are able to manage independently for a few days, the authorities can focus on their task of resolving the situation and helping those in most need.
Everyone has different starting points for preparedness, which is why preparedness should be seen as a set of various means. The basis of preparedness is home emergency supplies, but it also involves knowledge and skills to act when something extraordinary happens. Everyone should be prepared in some way according to their needs, opportunities and abilities.
Compiling instructions makes the information easier to find
Preparedness is a matter that concerns society as a whole and involves the work inputs of several authorities and organisations. Compiling instructions in a single guide makes it easier for citizens to find information. When the guide is published, the content of the instructions does not change significantly.
The Finnish, Swedish and English versions of the online guide are accompanied by the signs for the main parts of Finnish and Finland-Swedish sign language. The guide is accompanied by a PDF summary compiling basic information on preparedness in 15 different languages, which users can print out for themselves, their loved ones or service points.