Safety and Emergency Preparedness

What happens when you call

Your call will be answered by a trained operator. They will ask questions, assess the situation, and send the necessary help. Stay on the line and follow instructions. Do not hang up until you are told to.

Help is available in Finnish, Swedish, and English. If you speak another language, interpretation will be arranged – just tell the operator your language.

Emergency care for everyone

Everyone is treated in emergencies. If you don’t have a municipality of residence in Finland or the right to public healthcare, you may be charged for the services.

112 Suomi mobile app

By using the free 112 Suomi app, your location will be sent automatically to the emergency response centre. The app is available from your phone’s app store.

Other important numbers

• Poison Information Centre (24/7): +358 9 471 977
• Do not call 112 for matters such as permits, vehicle regulations or old crime investigations. For these, contact the police during office hours. You can find the contact details for the Lapland Police Department here.

More information: 112.fi

In Finland authorities and organizations have created a 72-hour preparedness recommendation for households. It’s a good idea for everyone living in Rovaniemi to become familiar with this recommendation. 

The idea is that you should be prepared to cope independently at home for at least three days in case of an emergency or disruption. 

For example, a long power outage might affect or even stop many public services. 

You should have enough food and medicine at home for at least 72 hours. It’s also important to know the basics of preparedness – like where to get reliable information during a crisis and how to manage in a home without electricity, where it may get cold and freezers may start to thaw. 

When households are prepared, it helps both the community and you personally. That’s why it’s worth taking the time to prepare for different kinds of disruptions. 

More information: https://72tuntia.fi/en/

If you live in an area with flood risk, you should prepare for spring floods in advance. 

It is the property owner's responsibility to protect their buildings from possible flood damage. 

Know the safe water level 

If your house is in a flood risk area, you need to know how high the water can rise without damaging your house. 
You can order this safety level measurement from the city's measurement unit (tel. 040 522 9181) or from a private company. 

You also need to understand what the flood forecast in Lainaanranta means for your house. 
You can compare the situation of your house to the forecast using the flood map service (see the link below), or you can ask the person who did the measurement. 

What you should do 

• Follow flood warnings and news. 

• Buy protection materials (for example, sandbags) if needed.

• Move your things to a safe place outside the flood area. 

⚠️ In a real flood, the rescue services cannot protect every home. Their main job is to protect people. If you are in danger, call the emergency number 112. They will send help. 

During a flood

• Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater.
• Floodwater may be deeper, stronger or more contaminated than it looks, and it can hide hazards such as debris or open manholes.
• Stay on higher ground and avoid low-lying areas.
• Follow official instructions and updates from local authorities.

The Lapland Rescue Department is responsible for protecting people and organizing evacuation if needed. 
They work together with the City of Rovaniemi and other authorities. 

Where are shelters? 

• Many larger apartment buildings and workplaces have a shelter. 

• Small apartment buildings and private houses usually do not have a shelter. 

If there is a need to take shelter, the rescue services will help people. They can move people to a safe area or tell you where the nearest shelter is. 

Follow official instructions 

In emergencies, it is very important to follow instructions from the authorities.

 For example, do not take iodine tablets unless you are told to do so by the authorities.

 It is a good idea to have a battery-powered radio at home. You can use it to listen to news and emergency instructions even if the power goes out.