Military conflicts and civil defence

The security situation in Finland is continuously monitored. The assessment of the situation is affected by threats to Finland and other neighbouring areas.

Efforts are made to prevent and avert the need for using military force. The military threat prevention measures include:

• foreign policy and diplomacy
• a comprehensive security model in which all societal operators play their part in building security
• continuous and active measures to combat influencing attempts, for instance
• a strong national defence capability that is part of NATO’s deterrence and defence.

If threat prevention fails, any attacks will be countered by military defence. Finland’s defence capability is maintained and the means of defence are continuously developed according to the current security situation.

In the event of an armed attack on Finland, the Government and the President of the Republic would declare emergency conditions.

• The Emergency Powers Act and the State of Defence Act would be introduced to grant the authorities extensive powers to ensure security.
• The armed attack would be responded to under the leadership of the Defence Forces as required by the situation.
• Citizens would be provided with information based on what is possible in the situation.
• In a critical situation, withholding information from the public could be necessary. Disclosure of all information could endanger security and the implementation of effective countermeasures.
• In a conflict situation, it is important that everyone follows the instructions issued by the authorities.

During a military conflict and war, the civilian population is protected in many ways. Finland’s authorities are well prepared for civil defence.

Read more:

• Emergency conditions - Pelastustoimi.fiOpens in a new window.
• The role of the Defence Forces in military defence - Finnish Defence ForcesOpens in a new window.

Reservists who have completed military service can be ordered to serve in the event of a war. Conscripted citizens lay the foundation for Finland’s armed defence against the attacker.

The Defence Forces place conscripts in their duties. Wartime placement is primarily determined by the training received during military service.

The information you have reported on your civilian profession and current national defence expertise in the conscription register may also affect your placement. You can find out information about your wartime placement by visiting your local regional office.

Do these:

• Keep your professional title up to date. Update your information on the Suomi.fi Personal Data page or report the change to the supervising regional office.
• Take care of your physical fitness. You can get a wide selection of free fitness programmes from the Marsmars app of the Finnish Defence Forces, which you can download from your mobile phone’s app store.

Read more:

• Finnish Defence ForcesOpens in a new window.
• In the reserve - Intti.fiOpens in a new window.
• Personal data - Suomi.fiOpens in a new window.
• Marsmars application (in Finnish)Opens in a new window.

During a war, persons liable for non-military service perform civilian tasks that safeguard the functioning of society, and these tasks are also carried out during normal times. The Non-military Service Centre coordinates the filling of service places.

Read more:

• More information about the liability for non-military service - Non-military Service CentreOpens in a new window.
• Tasks in emergency conditions for persons liable for non-military service (in Finnish and Swedish) - Non-military Service CentreOpens in a new window.

You can apply to voluntary national defender regardless of your national defence training status or liability.

Voluntary defence training develops and maintains a wide range of general security and military skills. They prepare you to support society in serious incidents and emergencies. Voluntary national defence activities are a key resource for comprehensive national defence and comprehensive security.

Read more about the national defence training of the National Defence Training Association of Finland (MPK)Opens in a new window.

Civilians are people who are neither in the service of the armed forces nor involved in military activities.

In areas where there is no continuing military activity, civilians would continue their lives under as regular conditions as possible.

• Compulsory education is maintained and teaching is organised in all circumstances where possible.
• Many people in working life would continue their jobs.

For example, nursing staff and other care workers as well as the employees involved in maintaining industrial and infrastructure activities would continue to work. Employers providing critical duties can make a reservation to their required personnel, in which case they are not assigned to other tasks.

Civilians would have more responsibility for caring for more disadvantaged groups. In society, healthcare and care resources must be allocated to the most critical areas, which means that families would have more responsibility for caring for children and older people, for example.

Everyone aged 18 or over but under 68 living in Finland is obliged to participate in rescue, first aid, maintenance and clearing tasks or other civil defence tasks.

The Ministry of the Interior or the Finnish Supervisory Agency may issue an order for civilians to perform a duty. People can be assigned tasks for which they have sufficient abilities.

Civilians are protected during the war. In conflict-affected areas, the protection of civilians would be carried out on site as required by the situation or by evacuations.

Military operations may leave behind unexploded ammunition or cartridges in the terrain. As in normal circumstances, suspicious objects found in the terrain must not be touched or moved.

The public warning signal is a rising and falling sound lasting for one minute. It is used to warn people of imminent danger outdoors.

In wartime, the signal is used to alert people about incidents and dangerous situations, such as air strikes.

To protect yourself during a military attack, seek shelter in the nearest civil defence shelter or in an indoor space protected by the strongest possible structures, for example the central parts of a building.

Read more: Emergency bulletins, alarm signals and pre-emptive warnings - Suomi.fiOpens in a new window.

When seeking shelter, go to the nearest civil defence shelter or move indoors to a space with the strongest possible structural protection, such as the central parts of a building.

In situations requiring shelter, there is very little time between the alarm and the actual danger. This is why you need to take shelter where you are at the time of the alarm.

• If you are not near a civil defence shelter when danger is imminent, it is often safest to stay sheltered right where you are. This is how people take shelter in nearly all sparsely populated areas and in many neighbourhoods with detached houses.
• Anyone may seek shelter in a civil defence shelter if there is space available.
• Even though the individual and shared shelters in buildings are designed for the use of those living, working or otherwise spending time in the building, others may also seek shelter in them if necessary.

Civil defence shelters are marked with a symbol, which is a blue equilateral triangle on an orange background.

Various types of buildings have civil defence shelters. There are shelters in private properties, such as blocks of flats and terraced houses, in shops, offices and industrial buildings, and in public buildings, such as schools and hospitals.

• Property-specific shelters are built as part of normal construction when the building is large enough to require one.
• Shared civil defence shelters serve several properties.
• Public civil defence shelters have been built in large cities to complement shelter capacity and to protect people on the move.
• Temporary shelters: if no actual civil defence shelter is available, buildings can be reinforced according to instructions issued by the authorities.

Any property's emergency plan should contain information on the property's civil defence shelter, for example in the building, or information on the nearest public shelter.

Your local rescue department's website will have more information about civil defence shelters and sheltering in your residential area.

Read more:

• Using a civil defence shelter and sheltering (PDF) - Pelastustoimi.fiOpens in a new window.
• Answers to questions about civil defence shelters and sheltering - Pelastustoimi.fiOpens in a new window.
• Rescue departments - Pelastustoimi.fiOpens in a new window.

Watch the Finnish speaking Ministry of the Interior’s YouTube video on civil defence sheltersOpens in a new window.

In wartime, the need for shelter may arise quickly, and the time spent in the shelter is likely to be short.

If you need to seek shelter, only bring the necessary items that are quickly available to you. No time should be spent on collecting or finding items.

• It is always a good idea to keep a personal identity document, your essential medicines, a phone, some cash and beverages with you.
• At home, it is advisable to have the most important personal items needed for sheltering ready so that you can take them quickly with you to the civil defence shelter.

As a rule, people only stay in a civil defence shelter when there is imminent danger.

If you are sheltering for a longer time, for example overnight, you should bring the following with you:

• food for your personal use that you can eat without heating
• drinking water for personal use, even though water is also stored in the shelter when it is activated
• personal hygiene supplies
• bedding, such as a sleeping bag and sleeping mat
• flashlight and batteries
• backup power supply for charging mobile phones and other devices
• ear plugs and a sleep mask
• entertainment, such as books, games, paper, pens.

You may not bring alcohol, drugs, weapons, heat-producing devices (e.g. gas cookers or storm lanterns) or strongly scented products into the civil defence shelter.

Be prepared that the shelter may be uncomfortable due to issues such as overcrowding.

Civil defence shelters are designed to protect people. Your home is the safest place for sheltering your pet. However, guide dogs and other service dogs should accompany the person they assist in the civil defence shelter.

Read more:

• Guide on how to activate and use civil defence shelters - Ministry of the InteriorOpens in a new window.
• Instructions for pet owners in civil defence situations - Pelastustoimi.fiOpens in a new window.

The authorities issue orders on evacuation and also instruct and guide the evacuees. The need to evacuate the population may be local or more extensive.

People move independently or with the help of the authorities.

• Primarily, evacuees make arrangements for their own transportation and accommodation.
• The authorities assist people who need assistance with their mobility or who are unable to make arrangements for their own transport or accommodation.
• The authorities organise the evacuation of residents of special places, such as healthcare and social welfare units.

The authorities will instruct which areas and population groups will be evacuated.

It is likely that some people would have already moved to safer areas earlier based on their own decisions.

Some people may not leave the evacuated area. The basic functions of society and business life must also continue to operate in war conditions. For example, authorities carrying out critical tasks and operators of key infrastructure and business functions may remain in the area.

If you have to evacuate, you can go to a place of accommodation you have arranged for yourself, such as a cottage or the home of a loved one.

Persons who are unable to make arrangements for their accommodation go to reception and registration centres and temporary accommodations as instructed by the authorities.

If the situation is prolonged, municipalities are responsible for arranging more permanent housing.