Southwest Finland reduces fire brigade callouts to save 50,000 euros

Southwest Finland’s rescue service has reduced the number of volunteer fire brigades dispatched to some incidents, aiming to save about 50,000 euros a year. The changes have frustrated some volunteers, Yle reports.

The service reviewed its emergency response levels in late summer for incidents including wildfires, building fires and vehicle fires. The changes affect whether fire stations farther from an incident are dispatched, but not the units sent first, rescue chief Marko Hottinen said.

Several volunteer brigades told Yle they have received fewer calls. Uusikaupunki Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Jere Flemming said brigades had not been informed about the changes and had begun wondering why their alarms sounded less often. Halikko Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Esa Rannikko estimated his brigade had handled half as many incidents this autumn as usual.

Rannikko said he was concerned about public safety, stressing that emergency crews need to respond without delay. Kuusisto Volunteer Fire Brigade member Kari Heinilä said he was also worried that fewer callouts could undermine volunteers’ motivation.

Hottinen said the service compared the number of units dispatched by the emergency response centre with what was actually needed at incident scenes. In some cases, he said, more units were routinely sent than were ultimately required. The aim is to reduce unnecessary callouts and the related staffing and equipment costs, while ensuring help arrives quickly and responders can manage incidents safely.

The savings form part of a target of just over 500,000 euros next year for the rescue and emergency medical services division. Hottinen said the changes should not be noticeable to residents.

According to the rescue service, the effects vary between areas. Its figures show that the relative number of assignments has increased for about 45 per cent of volunteer brigades this year and fallen for about 55 per cent.

The changes were discussed during a training exercise in Kaarina, where Kuusisto and Masku volunteer fire brigades staged a collision involving three cars and several seriously injured people. Yle reporter Heinimaija Hirvonen took part as a casualty trapped in a car.