The Emergency Response Centre Agency began cooperation with the Safety Investigation Authority

The Emergency Response Centre Agency and the Safety Investigation Authority have signed a cooperation agreement. The Control Centre of the Emergency Response Centre Agency is now also answering calls made to the Safety Investigation Authority’s emergency number.

Lasse Matilainen, Head of the Control Centre of the Emergency Response Centre Agency, says that the aim of the cooperation is to speed up and improve the efficiency of accident investigations.

“The goal of the operations is to receive notifications and to inform the investigators at the Safety Investigation Authority quickly and efficiently. The service aims for real-time operations 24 hours a day.  What this cooperation means in practice is that the Control Centre of the Emergency Response Centre Agency receives notifications of serious accidents and incidents in accordance with Section 16 of the Safety Investigation Act.”  

According to Section 16 of the Safety Investigation Act, several authorities, traffic control services and transport operators are obligated to notify the Safety Investigation Authority without delay of any events which could, in the assessment of the notifier, be subjected to an investigation. 

“The purpose of the cooperation is to improve the services of authorities and operators bound by the notification obligation under the Safety Investigation Act, promote the operational readiness of the Safety Investigation Authority, and improve data protection and data security in the processing of accident notifications. The cooperation also aims to improve general security in the society,” Matilainen says. 

Dr. Veli-Pekka Nurmi, Director of the Safety Investigation Authority, also considers that the cooperation is important for ensuring smooth cooperation and the efficient use of state resources.

“This important cooperation project demonstrates how limited state resources can be utilised in a sensible and efficient manner across administrative boundaries. At the same time, this improves general safety in Finland, because the Control Centre of the Emergency Response Centre Agency is able to gain an even better overall picture of serious accidents and the safety situation in Finland,” says Dr. Nurmi.

The cooperation agreement between the Emergency Response Centre Agency and the Safety Investigation Authority was signed on 26 November 2020. The agreement period started on 1 January 2021 and will last until the end of 2022. 

“The first two months of this year were reserved for preparations, such as staff training. The provision of defined information exchange services began on 1 March. So far, we have already forwarded a few accident reports to the Safety Investigation Authority, and our cooperation is off to a good start,” Matilainen says.