News and bulletins
Demanding ERC operator work requires extra investment in wellbeing at work
Paula has been working for the Emergency Response Centre Agency for ten years: first as a communications specialist for nine years and then as a wellbeing at work specialist from the start of 2024. By looking after staff wellbeing, she feels that she is doing meaningful work and is able to indirectly contribute to the safety of Finland as a whole.
Reputation of the Emergency Response Centre Agency remains strong
According to the Reputation&Trust study, the reputation of the Emergency Response Centre Agency is ranked fourth among public administration agencies. The public felt that the Agency performed best in the responsibility and products and services dimensions.
Wellbeing is built together
Competent, committed and content staff are the Emergency Response Centre Agency's most important asset and strategic priority. The Agency’s new wellbeing at work programme places greater emphasis on developing competence in work capacity management and career management, among other things.
Distress may turn to joy in a call involving childbirth
The Emergency Response centre sends assistance to more than 2,240 assignments involving childbirth each year. For the ERC operator, the experience is unique, as the sounds of new life can be heard at the other end of the line.
ERC operators provide instructions on what to do at the scene of an accident
According to a survey by the Finnish Road Safety Council (Liikenneturva), one in four Finns do not feel that they know what to do at the scene of an accident. The instructions provided by an ERC operator can save lives in an accident situation.
Emergencies and problem situations abroad – This is what you should do
Only approximately half of Finns know that the emergency number 112 works in all EU countries. When you call 112 in an EU member state, the call is always routed to a local emergency response centre.
Social emergencies require time
The Emergency Response Centre Agency also forwards tasks to social and crisis emergency services. In 2024, the number of these tasks increased by 4 percentage points compared to the previous year, overtaking the number of tasks forwarded to rescue services.
Fourteen-Year-Old’s Actions Prevented Greater Damage
Juho Karkiainen’s response to observing smoke and his courage to make an emergency call enabled the containment of a wildfire at an early stage. Thanks to Juho, the emergency response center was able to issue a rapid alert and relay crucial additional information to the rescue services.
Bullying Can Be a Crime – Recognizing Emergencies Is Crucial
It’s important to talk with children and young people about the importance of making an emergency call. For example, physical violence is always a crime, even if it’s referred to as school bullying. An ongoing violent situation is always a reason to call the emergency number 112.
Speed of action and location information are crucial in water rescues
In recent weeks, there has been a significantly higher number of drownings and serious near-miss incidents at public beaches than usual. Recognizing the situation and calling for help quickly is critical when someone ends up in the water. A drowning person is rarely able to call for help, which highlights the importance of others in noticing the emergency.