Village contingency is community-based care and preparedness for disruptions. Village contingency brings an important new dimension to the Finnish comprehensive security operating model: local community preparedness.
When neighbors know each other and make sure everyone is doing well, the readiness to cope with both everyday challenges and more serious disruptions improves.
The Government has decided that the Village Emergency Response Model will be established as a national recommendation alongside the 72-hour preparedness recommendation. Community preparedness toolkit Village property has been compiled specifically for the needs of rural villages, but many of the principles are also suitable for urban areas and cities: neighborhoods and housing associations.
– In sparsely populated areas, long distances emphasize the importance of the security provided by the local community. However, community preparedness must be strengthened equally in cities and towns., as the authorities' resources are limited, especially in long and serious disruption situations, a special expert from the Finnish Villages Association Ritva Pihlaja states.
The local community can provide important support and security, especially in long-term and serious disruptions, where households' own preparedness is not sufficient. Community preparedness also complements the authorities' preparedness work and strengthens crisis resilience in residential areas and municipalities, as well as at the level of society as a whole.
Village resources provide tools to be applied to local needs and resources
The tools of the Village Resource Center support and accelerate preparedness work. Each village and neighborhood can adapt them to their own resources and local circumstances.
There are many current examples of village emergency work being carried out in different parts of Finland. Villages are establishing village security groups, developing village radio operations, equipping common gathering places for emergencies, and organizing neighborly assistance.
– In Kymenlaakso, villagers have participated in efforts to combat African swine fever, in South Savo and Kanta-Häme great strides have been made to improve cooperation between villages, municipalities and rescue authorities, and in South Ostrobothnia, village security groups are planning who among the villagers will do what when something exceptional happens. Preparedness is of interest to local communities throughout Finland, emphasizes Rowan.
Collaboration is the core of community preparedness
Community preparedness is based on cooperation between residents, the municipality, other authorities and organizations. Preparedness cooperation can be strengthened, for example, through a partnership table:
– Many municipalities are already utilizing the idea of a partnership table, which brings together different actors in the municipal community around a common cause and the same table. The method is also perfectly suited to discussions about preparedness and security, says Pihlaja.
Practical help and advice for starting village reserve work are provided by provincial village associations. Projects promoting community preparedness are also underway in many areas.
Village resources are consolidated through interactive and long-term cooperation
The Village Resource Toolkit ( compiled by the Finnish Village Association in the EU-funded Village Resource project)www.kylavara.fi) gathers information and materials on village safety in one place for the first time. Executive Director of the Finnish Villages Association Suvi Louhelainen emphasizes the importance of long-term cooperation in further work:
– The importance of cooperation and information flow between municipalities, authorities and villages has become even more important from the perspective of both overall security and the well-being of Finns. Developing and establishing community preparedness requires long-term and interactive cooperation.
Security arises above all from mutual trust and everyday cooperation between people, not just from official actions.
Discover Kylävara: www.kylavara.fi
Additional information
Ritva Pihlaja
specialist
Suomen Kylät ry
045 341 0394
ritva.pihlaja@suomenkylat.fi