The cities secure services and functions that are essential for the safety and functioning of society, while also ensuring the safety of their employees during exceptional situations.
In Helsinki, the policies also apply to services in the city’s Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division. For the cities of Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen, the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa will provide instructions regarding social, health and rescue services.
During a possible drone-related emergency warning, city services will be implemented according to the following classification of criticality:
Critical services that will be provided 24/7: These include, for example, many services within Helsinki’s Social Services, Health Care, and Rescue Services Division, as well as round-the-clock daycares located in the cities of the metropolitan area.
Critical services that will observe normal opening hours: These include, for example, social and health care services’ home care services that must be handled without delay.
Services that will observe delayed opening hours: For example, early childhood education, schools, employment services, libraries, as well as cultural, youth, and sports services belong to the category of services whose opening or closing will be delayed until an all-clear message has been issued.
Services that can be carried out remotely: This group includes, among other things, administrative and customer service duties.
If an emergency warning is issued during a service’s operating hours, the service will not be closed until the danger has passed. In shift work, the current shift will continue working until the next shift arrives on site.
The cities will communicate any changes to their own services and support other official communications by, among other things, posting updates on their websites and social media channels.
Public transport will continue to operate during emergency warnings unless a safety or rescue authority orders a suspension. In exceptional situations, the most up-to-date information regarding public transport can be found on the Helsinki Regional Transport (HSL) website hsl.fi and the HSL app. The HSL app is used by approximately 60 per cent of the population in the metropolitan area.
The cities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area cooperate closely with the rescue and safety authorities, the central government, and each other. The City of Helsinki, the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa, and HUS (the Helsinki University Hospital network) also cooperate regionally in preparing for various disruptions. The cities closely monitor the national situational picture, authority-issued instructions and update their instructions accordingly.