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Emergency call in sign language

You can now make an emergency call in Finnish sign language.

In case of emergency, use the 112 Suomi application to make a video call to a sign language interpreter from the Interpreter Service for the Disabled. The interpreter makes a voice call to an emergency response centre operator, who will then process the emergency call with the help of the interpreter.

To get access to the service, download the 112 Suomi application to your phone. The service is available from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00.

Anyone who uses Finnish sign language to communicate can make an emergency call in sign language. You do not have to be a customer of Kela’s Interpreter Service for the Disabled to make an emergency call.

When reporting an emergency in the application, the caller’s location can be determined based on the caller’s phone number.

You can also report an emergency on a computer or other device at 112.fi or kela.fi. In case of emergency, contact Kela’s remote interpreting service (link) and state that there is an emergency. The interpreter will then make a voice call to the Emergency Response Centre and interpret what you reported.

How to report an emergency in sign language

  1. In case in the event of emercency

    Only use the service in the event of an emergency, such as a situation that puts a person’s life and health at risk.

  2. Open the 112 Suomi application

    Select Services – Urgent emergency – Emergency call in sign language

  3. Go to the remote interpreting service

    To make a video call to an interpreter, select "Go to the remote interpreting service".

  4. The interpreter

    The interpreter makes a voice call to the Emergency Response Centre and interprets your emergency call to the operator.

  5. Answer the questions

    Answer the questions of the Emergency Response Centre operator.

FAQ - Emergency call in Finnish Sign Language

You can make emergency calls in Finnish sign language only.

The service is only available on weekdays because this is an experiment carried out as a part of the existing services of the Interpreter Service for the Disabled. If the results are good, it may be possible make the service available 24/7. 

Tell the interpreter that there is an emergency. The interpreter will then call the emergency number. Give your phone number so that the Emergency Response Centre can determine your location. Briefly explain what has happened. It is important that you answer the Emergency Response Centre operator’s questions clearly. 

Anyone who uses Finnish sign language to communicate can make an emergency call in sign language. You do not have to be a customer of Kela’s Interpreter Service for the Disabled to make an emergency call.

The interpreters have been trained to work in cooperation with the Emergency Response Centre operators.

Kela records the video conversations between callers and interpreters and stores them in their own database. The database is confidential. Kela looks after the data in accordance with government regulations. The Emergency Response Centre Agency records all conversations between ERC operators and interpreters, like any other calls made to the emergency number 112 (Act on Emergency Response Centre Operations, section 17, subsection 1, paragraph 2). 

When you launch the app for the first time, enter your phone number and select the language you prefer to use (Finnish, Swedish or English). To enable all features, reply yes to the questions the application asks you. The questions may be different depending on your operating system. Learn more about how to use the app.

When you make an emergency call to the Interpreter Service for the Disabled using the 112 Suomi application, your phone’s location data will be saved in the application’s cloud service. You still need to give the Emergency Response Centre operator your phone number through the interpreter. This way, the ERC operator can check your phone’s location in the cloud.

You can also report an emergency in sign language using a computer or a tablet. You can find the link to the remote interpreting service at 112.fi and kela.fi. Persons who are unable to produce speech can also report emergencies by sending a text message.