Safety and Preparedness

What does preparedness mean?

According to the Emergency Powers Act, a municipality must ensure the best possible management of its tasks, even in exceptional circumstances. The municipality ensures the continuity of its operations through continuity management and other measures aimed at preventing or managing disturbance situations. The City of Uusikaupunki cooperates with other authorities and regularly trains for disturbance situations.

The range of threats to society and the disturbance situations resulting from them is broad. What they have in common is that they all occur within a municipality's area or their effects extend to the residents.

By preparing, the municipality ensures that essential services and decision-making processes continue to function during normal disturbance situations and in exceptional circumstances. During disturbance situations, there may be interruptions in services, but the aim is to restore normal services as soon as possible.

In the event of potential disturbance situations, the municipality informs about the development of the situation on its website, through the municipality's social media channels, and via the media.

Resident's Self-Preparedness

A safe home, work, and other operational environments are important to us all. Take responsibility for the safety of your surroundings. Alarms, initial fire-fighting equipment, escape routes, and correct actions can help in an accident situation. It is also good to be prepared for disturbances such as storms, floods, and long power outages.

Prepare for unexpected situations, such as interruptions in electricity, water, or heating. Ensure that you have extra food, water, and medications for at least three days at home, as well as a battery-operated radio and flashlight. Plan in advance how you will act during a prolonged water outage and how to stay warm if heating fails. It is also important to know the basics of preparedness, such as where to get accurate information during a disturbance.

Households' self-preparedness is a great help and security for society and especially for the individual. Everyone should prepare for disturbances and maintain a home supply.

At home, it's good to have at least for 72 hours:

• Long-lasting, ready-to-eat, or non-electrically prepared food
• Several liters of bottled water per person
• Essential medicines and pain relievers
• Battery-operated radio
• Batteries
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Clean lidded bucket or canister
• Charged power bank
• Some cash
• Moist wipes and hand sanitizer
• Iodine tablets
• Duct tape
• Plastic bags and toilet paper
• Firewood, if there is a fireplace or wood stove
• First aid kit
• Smoke detector
• Initial fire-fighting equipment

Communication

In urgent emergency situations, always call the general emergency number 112. It is also advisable to download the 112 application on your phone.

In disturbance situations, the municipality informs about the progress of the situation and guidelines on websites, social media channels, and through general media outlets. Rescue services also issue statements in emergency situations. General instructions from the rescue services can be found on their websites.

Emergency Warning

The emergency warning is the primary method used by authorities to alert residents. An emergency warning is always issued in addition to the general alarm signal sounded by the public warning system. The emergency warning is broadcast on the radio and displayed on text TV page 112, as well as on television as scrolling text at the top of the screen, if necessary. The emergency warning is also published in the 112 app, YLE news watch app, and on the websites of the rescue services and 112.

Alarm signal

The general alarm signal is a regularly rising and falling sound lasting for one minute, or a warning issued by the authorities using loudspeakers. The rising and falling sounds last for seven seconds each. An emergency warning is always issued as the alarm signal is sounded. When you hear the general alarm signal, go indoors and listen to the news and information issued by the authorities. Also check the source of the news and other information.