INTRODUCTION OF SOUTHWEST FINLAND REGIONAL EMERGENCY SER- VICES
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Turku is Finland's oldest city (1229 -), and the former capital. Turku is Finland's historic, cultural and educational center. In 2011, Turku is the European Capital of Culture in conjunction with the City of Tallinn. Turku is Finland's spiritual center (the Archibishop's "home"). Turku Cathedral was inaugurated in early 1300's, and after that the annual inter secret Christmas Peace Declaration has been readen. Declaration is also known widely in other countries all over the world.
Southwest Finland rescue services (SWFRS), as a former Turku Fire Department is perhaps one of the oldest in the Nordic countries. It was founded in 1869. Fire Department of Turku formed a provincial player when other surrounding communities fire brigades joined together.This model of Rescueservices in Fin- land began at a year of 2004. After that the name was chanced as it is nowadays.
The beginning of 2004 the country had a major changes in the field of rescue ser- vices, where the previous municipal fire brigades joined provincial levels. Finland was formed 22 rescue regions. Prior to 2004, Southwest Finland, the province had more than 52 municipalities and almost every municipality had its own firebrigade (mostly of them were volun- tary brigades as they are nowadays as well). Today municipalities have been merged and the number of municipalities is 28 and is still going down.
Rescue Services has a staff of 578 employees in 11 permanent stations. 4 sta- tions are half permanent. Voluntary stations is 70 and voluntary persons are ap- proximately 1495.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND CHALLENGES IN THE ARCHIPELAGO
AREA OF SOUTHWEST FINLAND RESCUE SERVICES
Permanent station Voluntary station Southwest Finland is located in southwestern Finland, Åland Islands situates next to southwest from our area between Sweden and Finland. To the south there lies tip of the Hanko peninsula.
The archipelago is the world's most largest Archipelago Sea with about 44 000 is- lands. Most of the islands belongs to our area. Baltic waterway lead`s from the bottom of the Gulf of Finland passing through the Southwest Finland over the rest of Europe and the wider world.
If an oil spill takes place at the central Baltic Sea it is likely to turn to our area pre- vailing wind conditions and currents due.
Finland's first oil refinery is located at a city of Naantali. Ferry Road here runs through a delicate and difficult to navigate through the archipelago. The largest oil tankers loaded with crude oil, which reach a size of 100 000 tonnes. The greatest possible danger, it is estimated that 20 000 tonnes of oil flows into the sea at the same time. Preparing for this kind of disaster requires far consuming advance planning and preparedness for pre booming plans as well as the creation of stra- tegic models. Winter conditions create a special risk because of the Baltic Sea route is a lot of ships with winter conditions event sailing is not quite a-day.
FINNISH OIL SPILL RESPONSE ORGANIZATION
Oil spill liability in Finland is divided so that in offshore, the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) is responsible for oil spill response arrangements and the archi- pelago and "territorial waters" (onshore) is responsible for the rescue act. Land area is responsible for Rescue services. Offshore under the leadership of Syke are all marine operators, such as the Navy, the Border Guard, Trafi among SWFRS. These authorities also have heavier equipment for offshore functions. Large scale international co-operated oil spill`s are always the responsibility of Syke, (Ministry of environment). At Syke they decide what kind of tool`s and who they are sending abroad.
Finnish legislation is well developed and functional. In practice, it denotes that alt- hough the rescue services is owned by the municipalities every regional Rescue services has to assist each neighboring areas and whole Finnish rescue forces in generally.
Syke as a State actor orders a significant number of larger tonnage and robust oil spill response equipment such as booms and collection equipment. The majority of vessel is positioned southwest of Finland all the way up to bottom of the Gulf of Finland. Of course the northern part of coastal area is State administered by the equipment, but on a smaller scale. Although estimates of risk in these areas is al- so lower.
SOUTHWEST FINLAND REGIONAL
Rescue Services arrangement
Rescue Department is responsible for the whole province area rescue operations. Rescue-insurance operations include the following statutory duties: 1) will cooperate with the municipalities and other parties with the protection of people against the plans and the plans for the population or part of the move away from risk. 2) takes care of their own organization's readiness of civil protection duties. 3) ensure that the region is necessary to warn the population alert system; 4) responsible for rescue operations in waters, taking also into account what the law provides for search and rescue search and rescue action; 5), as the individual states, takes care of oil spills, and control of hazardous sub- stances, participates in search and rescue task to its remit and to provide appro- priate assistance to other authorities; 6) serves as an expert in land use planning, construction and supervision in ac- cordance with rules agreed upon with the municipality; 7) provides ambulance, paramedic and emergency medical services 8) to organize civil defense and disaster exercises
Emergency services staff takes part of international crises as Finn Rescue Force (FRF) troops and, if they can adjust it as an expertise assignments abroad. MIRG Ready Group (Marine Incident responce Group) has established co- operation with Helsinki and the Southwest Finland rescue services as a key ser- vice at sea. A number of the functional operation can be used with air vessels, such as a helicopter. At the future this number of operational function could also serve as requiring oil spill management body, to begin widely, including at the international level eg. the Baltic Sea region.
SOUTHWEST FINLAND OIL SPILL RESPONSE ORGANIZATION
Regional Emergency Services manages 60 oil spill response boats and small vessels. This number of boats is Finland's biggest in rescue services.Capable of self oil collecting vessels are currently 5 pcs. The number is increasing within 3-4 years manner of we are getting some collecting systems more.
SWFRS is involved in developing the cities of Turku and Helsinki to co-operate with Baltic Sea Challenge campaign (www.itamerihaaste.net ) also as in English. Currently, a high-priority challenge for the campaign is precisely these towns oil spill response capacity continues to develop. We are drawing up a contingency plan for how we can further improve our capabilities.
SWFRS has taken a decision on its own to plan manual to achieve archipelago area oil spill response. The work is wide, the total duration of 3-4 years. Similar materials can be founded at (www.kyamk.fi/Soko). Texts are in Swedish, English and Spanish.
SWFRS has begun the Archipelago region of the main routes in contingency planning oil booms aim to the fact that the fairways and the risk areas are identi- fied and at the same time a plan for strategy for rapid booming.
Cooperation has been practiced often above between different parties annually.
Joint exercises have been organized at the international level, where the Finnish Environment Institute organizes major oil spill response exercises. These exercis- es have been involved. Swedish Coast Guard, as well as neighboring plants res- cue vessels. Rescue Services boat drivers and crew will practice every year, about 20 times. Each workout is two days long and the main emphasis is on practice how to use oil spill response equipment`s as well as navigation exercises of training.
Cooperation with other authorities and with various parties.
Cooperation with the Marine Forces, the Border Guard, the Finnish Environment Institute, SWFRS, Economy and the Environment Agency is among the seamless. Within Police and Rescue services the good cooperation is an everyday activity. Voluntary cooperation partners mentioned as in example. WWF Finland and search and rescue teams (SAR) at a sea.
CONCLUSIONS
Southwest Finland Regional Rescue Services is a partner in the project EnSaCo.
We want to take part of to resolve or determine some border fences international- ly, probably there isn`t many. Important thing is also to learn knowledgement from the other partners in practice. Getting to know each other and to create contacts between various actors is worth to mention. We believe that we have something to give to others, but also we have a lot to learn, and a claim on this project. We hope that as a matter of the law, or other related forms, as potential evidence could be lowered in the international arena so as not to impede or delay the bu- reaucracy. Potential to initiate rescue operations at any part of Baltic sea of the countries involved in the project area. We hope that EnSaCo after the project participants would have opportunity to continue this development of cooperation, because the job does not end there.