A rescue station and a primary school are very different workplaces, but there are similarities in what makes them good work communities.
Kontula Rescue Station is still new, being just over a year old.
The work community’s first year together has gone excellently, with Kontula Rescue Station scoring 86% in the Fiilari survey at the end of last year. Fiilari is the City of Helsinki's own staff survey, which is carried out every two years. The closer you get to 100 per cent, the better it is.
“The work community is just brilliant. We are able to talk about anything and everything at the coffee table. I know that if I have any worries and concerns, this team will support me,” says Station Manager Kimmo. For security reasons, the staff of the rescue station are only referred to by their first names.
As station manager, Kimmo is in a supervisory position but also takes part in assignments. Sami and Väinö are his subordinates, with Sami having been part of the team since the establishment of the station.
“A big part of the good result is because we have built this work community from the ground up,” says Sami, who is a rescuer-paramedic.
Rescuer-paramedic Väinö is one of the newest arrivals at the station.
“I was already familiar with almost everyone in this shift. It was easy to transfer here,” says Väinö.
The station was designed according to the wishes of the staff so that units can be dispatched as quickly as possible. Right from the start, a common set of rules was agreed upon at the station, with one of the rules being that the team should take full advantage of the station’s design for rapid dispatches. For example, on major assignments, the team wants to be the fastest unit on site.
“Another rule is that we must not hesitate to speak up and be open if something doesn't feel right or starts to bother us. We broach the issue and discuss it right away so that it doesn't fester. Otherwise, it will no longer be manageable. So we’re open and do not hesitate to say that hey, I don't like what you did there,” Kimmo says.
This is something he also advises other work communities to do: it is worthwhile resolving issues immediately.
The opening of Kontula Rescue Station was celebrated in January 2025, while the Strömberg Primary School building in Pitäjänmäki has been there since the 1960s. The building previously housed the Strömberg factory's engineering school. However, it has been a primary school for 25 years now. Of course, there are many differences between Kontula Rescue Station and Strömberg Primary School, but you can also find something in common in the building blocks of their good work communities.
“Every week, we have a so-called tea time in the classrooms, where we talk about current issues and, most importantly, speak up about any issues or challenges,” says Principal Päivi Katila.
The tea time practice is also linked to the ethos of gratitude, which is emphasised at Strömberg Primary School. Here people express gratitude and what they would like to change. But what does that mean?
“First, we think about what we are grateful for. Then, you can also reflect on the things that you would like to change. This approach makes it easier for people to express criticism and also to receive it, saying that there is something that they would like to change. The same idea is also used among the staff: first you say what you are grateful for and then what you would like to change,” says Katila.
The school uses Freinet pedagogy, which emphasises the importance of community cohesion and learning by doing, among other things. Studies at the school involve a lot of practical responsibilities, such as caring for plants, organising community sports and promoting equality. Instruction is organised according to a curriculum. The school includes grades 1–6 and one class that goes up to 9th grade. The number of pupils is approximately 200.
Katila was one of the founders of Strömberg Primary School, while Finnish as a Second Language Teacher Salla Kavén has been at the school since 2017.
Strömberg Primary School scored a brilliant 84% in the Fiilari survey. As one of the reasons for the good results, Katila and Kaven cite the school’s structures. These include annual calendars on different topics, four periods, a weekly tea time in classrooms and operating diagrams for events.
“With these structures in place, our staff feel that they are genuinely able to participate and make a difference. It matters what you say and do. This creates a sense of responsibility and willingness to really work together,” says Kavén, explaining the reasons behind the good results.
The aforementioned structures at Strömberg Primary School include clear ways, among other things, of celebrating various occasions, and there is no need to set up separate committees. Strömberg Primary School observes celebrations from different cultures, such as Flag Day, Christmas, the closing celebrations of Ramadan, Easter and the Chinese New Year.
“At our school, everyone observes all celebrations. It is not about practising religion, but rather a heartfelt curiosity to celebrate and learn about the different ways in which cultures celebrate: we always start with an information session, followed by workshops, other activities and a feast at the end. It's important to take everyone into account in the community,” Katila says.
The structures are also linked to the fact that Strömberg Primary School is open until 16.00 on weekdays. Most of the teachers also work at the school, so the aim is not to work at home or at weekends.
Structures also play an important role at Kontula Rescue Station, where each shift spends a lot of time together, always 24 hours at a time. A normal shift involves checking and maintaining the station's equipment, vehicles and facilities as well as training, practice and exercise. And, of course, all the assignments that are part of a regular day. Things are constantly being practised.
“We practise a lot so that we are able to do things right when in the field. We have clear models for what we do. They really help a lot to cope with difficult situations and reduce stress,” says Kimmo.
Of course, we are constantly developing and working for community cohesion. It doesn't just happen by itself.
According to the Fiilari survey, everyone in Katila and Kaven's work community felt that their work mattered. This meaningfulness is reflected in the small moments, among other things.
“I loved it when two happy pupils from the Finnish as a second language class came knocking on my door to tell me that, according to Salla, they had made good progress in their Finnish language skills,” Katila recalls one such moment.
Katila and Kavén both stress the importance of community cohesion. According to Kaven, it also requires work.
“Of course, we are constantly developing and working for community cohesion. It doesn't just happen by itself,” says Kavén.
“We have also had people come by who have said that it's a nice school, but not my thing. After all, community cohesion is about reciprocity. You must also be prepared to invest in it yourself,” says Katila.
Community cohesion is built out of things like shared humour and everyone spending time together in the coffee room instead of in groups by profession. Or if someone is having a hard time at work, others coming to their aid.
“Community cohesion is about concrete actions There is no such thing as your pupils or my pupils, only our pupils,” says Kavén.
Katila and Kavén both highlight things that may seem to be small, but are of great importance.
“This may seem like a small thing but it is actually a big one: greeting others. Everyone greets each other when they meet. The pupils, the adults, everyone! This has universally been seen as a wonderful thing,” says Kavén.
In Katila's opinion, things that help you cope at work include gratitude and trust, nice and professional colleagues and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that when something happens, you have support.
In the rescue sector, the nature of the job welds the work community together, almost automatically. You spend time together closely, 24 hours at a time. This contributes to strengthening community cohesion. According to Väinö, he and his coworkers also spend a lot of time together in their free time.
“A surprising amount of time, in fact. We play sports or travel abroad. We also often stay on after our shift to workout at the station gym,” says Väinö.
According to Kimmo, being with his own team all the time makes his job as a supervisor easier.
“We have – hopefully – a very low threshold for supervisor-subordinate discussions,” says Kimmo.
Rescue work welds people together and strengthens community cohesion also because life-threatening assignments can come up every day. This is just one of the things that makes the work exceptional.
“If there’s a tough assignment, for example, you have full faith in your colleagues and you know that you will never be left alone in any situation,” says Väinö.
In Väinö's opinion, trust is absolutely essential in the work community and in their work. Sami agrees.
“That kind of trust is sure to weld people together,” says Sami.
