News and bulletins
It is safe to talk about self-destructiveness
Thousands of emergency calls are made to the Emergency Response Centres every year involving cases of self-harm or attempted suicide. The purpose of the Suicide Prevention Day is to inform people that help is available and that it's safe to talk about suicide.
Children are being taught how to recognise emergencies
Children are excellent emergency callers as they are honest; although you never want them to face an emergency. It is important, however, that children are taught the correct use of the emergency number, just as adults are.
New guidelines to help operators in risk-assessment
The guidelines for handling tasks in the Emergency Response Centre Agency’s emergency medical services were revised at the end of November 2023. The change is reflected in the number of tasks assigned to emergency medical care and in the priority distribution.
Non-urgent prehospital care assignments involve multi-professional cooperation
Congestion in health care and social services has recently been in the news frequently, and the issue is also affecting emergency and prehospital care. Non-urgent tasks are also increasingly assigned to prehospital emergency care services, and various multi-professional approaches have been developed around Finland to handle these assignments.
EU project teaches children about the emergency number
The Emergency Response Centre Administration is participating in an EU project that improves the visibility of the missing children help system. A key theme of the project is teaching children how to correctly use the emergency number.
Absences due to illness decreased and job satisfaction rose in 2023
The Emergency Response Centre Agency’s financial statements for 2023 are complete. Last year, the number of employee absences due to illness fell, new ERC operators were recruited, and employee satisfaction increased.
eCall offers safety in situations where the driver cannot call for help
There has recently been discussion in the news about automatic emergency call systems in vehicles. The Europe-wide eCall connects directly to the nearest emergency response centre and sends information directly to the centre's information system.
The missing children hotline improves safety across the EU
In the event that an underage child becomes missing, it is important to inform the responsible authorities quickly. For this purpose, assistance is available from a common European hotline. In Finland, the hotline can be used for sharing tips about missing children. In emergencies, the number to call is 112.
Real-time text for emergency services will be introduced in 2025
Emergency calls using real-time text (RTT) will be made available by the end of 2025. The new option for emergency calls will especially help people with hearing or speech impairments. The Emergency Response Centre Administration has already taken the first steps in the development of RTT.
Emergency response centre operator awarded for outstanding performance
The European Emergency Number Association EENA awarded a Finnish emergency response centre operator for outstanding work in assisting a person that had fallen through the ice in the wilderness. Finland’s emergency response centres are built around the professionalism of ERC operators and cooperation between authorities, and the case demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.