Preparedness skills

• Emergency home supplies include water, food, medication and other necessities to last at least three days for everyone living in the house.
• When preparing a home emergency supply kit, choose items that you use normally and replenish them as needed.

More information:

72 hours: Home emergency food supply

The Martha Association: Stockpile

• If there is no electricity, you can cook food outside on a camping stove or barbecue. Remember to handle fire with care and keep a fire blanket or extinguisher nearby.
• It’s also a good idea to have food at home that can be stored in room temperature and doesn’t need to be heated before eating.

• During a power outage, the house can get cold very quickly. If this happens, it’s best if everyone uses and sleeps in the same room to keep it warm for longer. You can also build a tent out of blankets under a table and sleep there.
• Cover the windows as much as possible with curtains, blankets or bed sheets and bring more rugs on the floor.
• Wear layered clothing and keep your hat, gloves and shoes on inside if necessary.

More information:

72 hours: Power outage

• If the power goes out or water supply is cut off, it is not allowed to pour water into the drain. Keep a supply of hand sanitizer, disinfectant, wet wipes, disposable tableware and plastic bags at home.
• Good personal hygiene also helps protect yourself and others from infectious diseases.

More information:

72 hours: Infectious diseases

• Everyone has a duty to give first aid according to their skills and capabilities. The first thing to do is to stop, find out what happened and call the emergency number 112.
• You can learn first aid on courses organised by the Finnish Red Cross, for example.

More information:

Finnish Red Cross: First aid instructions

• In the event of an incident or disruption, electricity and telecommunications can be cut off suddenly.
• Reliable sources for information include the public broadcaster Yle, official channels, municipalities and power and water utility companies.
• Make sure you have a battery-powered radio and batteries at home. A backup power supply is also useful to have.

More information:

72 hours: Communication in a disruption and reliable information

• Mental resilience is the ability to adapt and cope under pressure in difficult situations.
• Resilience can be improved with self-care and routines such as getting enough sleep and regular exercise and eating healthy.
• Being part of a community and having access to reliable information also help you keep calm during a crisis.

More information:

72 hours: Psychological resilience

Finnish Red Cross: Psychological first aid

Save the Children Finland: How to support a child during a crisis

• Take care of your loved ones and get to know your neighbours so that it’s easier to ask for and offer help in case of an emergency.
• Think about who you could help in the event of an incident or emergency, or who could help you.
• It is easier to arrange food, water and warmth and find out information together than it is alone.

• Sheltering indoors is a way to protect yourself from radiation, toxic gases and smoke. When you hear the public warning signal or receive an emergency warning, go indoors right away and stay there.
• Close doors, windows and vents, use tape to seal gaps and turn off ventilation.