Prevention of incidents and accidents is a joint effort
Proactive safety measures and incident and accident prevention are the responsibilities of the rescue services. Incident and accident prevention refers to actions intended to decrease the likelihood of incidents and accidents and mitigate the amount of damage caused. In addition to incident and accident prevention referred to in the Rescue Act, and supervisory measures, proactive safety measures include a wide range of actions to promote safety.
Prevention of incidents and accidents is a key task of rescue services. To do this, rescue departments provide guidance, advice and training for people, and carry out supervisory tasks.
Rescue authorities supervise the safety of buildings and various activities, through fire inspections and other supervisory methods. Proactive safety measures and the prevention of incidents and accidents involve cooperation with other local authorities and communities, and local residents.
The aim of the rescue services is to increase the ability of people and communities to identify dangerous situations, prevent hazards and act in emergencies. Each and every one of us is responsible for maintaining safety and security.
One of the national strategic objectives is to halve the number of fires by 2030. It is also one of the objectives set out in the Government Programme. Achieving this objective will require extensive and multidisciplinary cooperation, in which all people are encouraged to exercise care when handling fire.
Everyone can prevent accidents or limit damage through their own actions
The Rescue Act imposes general obligations on all of us. These include
- the general obligation to act
- the general duty of care
- the duty to exercise care when handling fire.
Successful rescue operations require that those who have witnessed an accident know what to do and are able to take the right measures before the rescue services arrive at the scene. Many incidents and accidents and the damage caused by them can be prevented or limited by simple measures.
Everyone must observe the provisions on safety laid down in the Rescue Act. Fire and other hazardous substances must be handled with particular care. Precautions must be taken to prevent dangerous situations, as this will stop fires from breaking out, or other incidents and accidents from occurring. In addition, in the event of danger, each resident is obliged to make an emergency call, warn those in danger and perform rescue measures to the best of their abilities.
Action plan for incident prevention improves everyday safety
The action plan for incident prevention for the rescue services defines the national objectives for proactive safety measures and the prevention of incidents and accidents, and integrates these measures better with all rescue service activities.
The mission of the action plan is a safe and incident-free life by 2030. The related sub-objectives are
- enhancing the experience of safety
- increasing people's skills and own initiative
- ensuring availability of services
- developing shared work.
The impact objectives defined in the action plan focus on current phenomena, such as technological advances, demographic changes and challenges posed by changes in the operating environment. Particular emphasis has been placed on improving the safety capital of children and young people, developing cooperation and strengthening individual emergency planning.
The objectives laid out in the action plan can be achieved by using the whole range of instruments available to proactive safety measures. In addition to education and communication, the measures include supervision, research and societal influence.
The implementation of the action plan will be monitored regularly, and if necessary, the objectives will be updated to respond to current developments.