hätäkeskuslaitoksen

The Hätäkeskuslaitoksen, or the Emergency Response Centre Agency, was a Finnish government agency responsible for the nationwide emergency communications system and the coordination of emergency response. Its primary duty was to handle 112 emergency calls and to dispatch appropriate services—police, fire and rescue, and health care—through a centralized network of regional emergency response centres. The agency operated a nationwide, integrated public-safety communications system and maintained standard operating procedures to ensure rapid response, incident prioritization, and resource deployment. It worked with municipalities, regional authorities, and national authorities to plan and execute large-scale and multi-agency operations, including urban incidents, natural disasters, and public health emergencies. The staff included call-takers and dispatchers who used computer-aided dispatch systems and location information to coordinate responders. Regional emergency response centres were the point of contact for local incidents, while the central office oversaw policy development, training, public information, and inter-agency cooperation. The agency also participated in the development of EU-wide emergency communications standards and contributed to national public safety communications research. Over the years, the role and structure of Finland's emergency response system underwent reforms aimed at improving efficiency and regional coordination. Following these reforms, the responsibilities of the Hätäkeskuslaitos were redistributed within the Finnish emergency services framework.