Finnish Partners met on 28 May 2019 with Voluntary Organisations to discuss co-operation

Finnish OIL SPILL Partners Southwest Finland Emergency Services, Finnish Red Cross and University of Turku met with Voluntary Organisations to discuss the co-operation between Rescue Partners and Voluntary Organisations on 28 May 2019 in Turku. Presented Voluntary Organisations in addition to Finnish Red Cross were The Finnish Air Rescue Society, Southwest Finland Rescue Association, National Defence Training Association of Finland and WWF.

In this meeting, the need of assistance of Southwest Finland Emergency Services in long-term oil spill response and the capabilities of volunteers were mapped. During the event, fire officer Miikka Toivonen, representing Southwest Finland Emergency Services, gave a presentation on the current status of oil spill response and Head of Preparedness at Finnish Red Cross, Tommi Virtanen, on his behalf, presented the current status of oil spill response capabilities of volunteering organisations.

The current, existing models of oil spill response were introduced and possible changes or improvements on the models were in discussed the event. Voluntary Organisations will, as a result, continue bilateral negotiations with Southwest Finland Emergency Services on the duration and form of co-operation in oil spill response.