Record number of emergency calls interpreted

The growth in the foreign-language population is reflected in the number of interpreted emergency calls. The demand for Ukrainian interpretation, for example, has increased significantly over the past few years.

According to market research company Taloustutkimus, the share of immigrants within the population of Finland is currently at 11 per cent, and immigrants are practically the only population group in the country that is growing at the moment. This has translated to emergency calls, the interpretation of which has increased rapidly over the past five years.

According to Development Manager Tommi Hopearuoho at the Emergency Response Centre Agency, most foreign-language calls can be handled thanks to the professionalism and language proficiency of the emergency response centre (ERC) operators. If no shared language with the caller can be found, the ERC operator may use an interpreter.

Interpretation is an external additional service offered by the Emergency Response Centre Agency for the purpose of improving equality. The Emergency Response Centre Agency has been using interpretation services since 2013. 

Number of interpreted calls increased by 40% within 12 months

In 2024, 1,469 emergency calls were interpreted, which is nearly 40 per cent more than in 2023 (1,056 calls). The number of emergency calls interpreted during the calendar year has nearly doubled every year during the five-year period under review.

There were a total of 37 interpreted languages last year (29 in 2023). The number has increased steadily since 2020, at which time there were 15 languages interpreted. Last year, most calls were interpreted in Russian (594), Ukrainian (371) and Arabic (78). New languages appearing in the statistics included Soninke (3), Lingala (1) and Kinyarwanda (1). 

“Both domestic and international phenomena are usually reflected in emergency calls, and this is also evident in interpreted emergency calls. Ukrainian, for example, did not appear among interpreted languages in the previous decade at all, but has now grown to be the second largest language,” Hopearuoho says.

Interpreter connected to emergency line

According to Tommi Hopearuoho, the interpreting service is available to the Emergency Response Centre Agency around the clock. 

“During emergency calls requiring interpretation, the ERC operator tries to first determine what language the caller is speaking. It is not always an easy task, and can take time. After this, the ERC operator will contact the interpreting service and an interpreter for the language in question will be added onto the same call with the caller and the ERC operator.” 

The fastest way to receive help is to have someone with the ability to communicate in Finnish, Swedish or English present. Children of immigrant families attending school often speak Finnish or at least English, and can help in providing information.