Rescue services face staff shortages and ageing equipment as cuts loom

Rescue services across much of Finland are facing staff shortages, reduced on-call coverage and delayed equipment purchases as wellbeing services counties seek savings, Yle reports. Firefighters warn that cuts could delay assistance and increase safety risks.

In the Central Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county, the rescue department has been given a savings target of 350,000 euros for next year. Jukka Toikkanen, a contract firefighter at Kannus fire station who has worked on emergency duties for more than 30 years, fears the cuts could reduce on-call payments for part-time firefighters or lead to small stations closing.

Toikkanen says the region could not provide rescue services if contract firefighting ceased. He also worries that cuts to part-time work could discourage new volunteers and weaken the service over time.

Yle asked all 21 rescue departments how budget pressures were affecting their work and received responses from 19. Nearly all said savings had already affected, or would affect, their operations. The Finnish Central Organization for Rescue Services says some form of savings is being made in almost every region.

Some counties are considering changes to their network of fire stations. Petri Jaatinen of the organization says reducing that network is a concern because firefighters must reach incidents within set response times. He also says fire stations are important for civil preparedness and notes that contract firefighters make up four out of five firefighters in Finland.

Other departments report operating with fewer staff. In Western Uusimaa, some units have been sent to emergencies below full strength. The department says this can mean one firefighter, rather than a pair, sitting in the back of a fire engine, potentially creating a workplace safety risk. North Savo says its savings target of 800,000 euros next year will leave some positions unfilled, while Satakunta expects to save 1.4 million euros over the coming years partly by reducing shift staffing.

Several departments also say savings are affecting equipment. Päijät-Häme has cut repair costs and purchased services, while South Savo has postponed equipment investments. The South Savo rescue department expects repair costs to rise as equipment ages. Lapland is adjusting equipment spending while aiming to maintain current response levels despite an expected increase in incidents linked to tourism.

Central Ostrobothnia’s safety and rescue committee was unable to identify the required savings and referred the matter to the county’s executive board and council.