In South Ostrobothnia, villages are organizing to manage disruptions
Village security teams established in villages will speed up the provision of assistance in sparsely populated areas in the event of accidents and disturbances. Voluntary security work in villages and preparedness in rural areas are also part of the crisis resilience of society as a whole.
Village communities are interested in bringing together different security expertise into a team to manage a disturbance situation and speed up the provision of assistance. Village security teams operate voluntarily, like neighborhood help, and if necessary, with the assistance of the authorities or the situation management of the Voluntary Rescue Service (Vapepa). In an accident or disturbance situation, a team assembled from village residents acts as local experts and communicates information between the situation management and the villagers.
– In our country, providing assistance is an everyday occurrence and being prepared is in our DNA, but organizing as a team makes things even more important.
– I see the village security team as a low-threshold opportunity to help. This does not require long courses, but the team's ability to help is based on the everyday skills of those living in the countryside, says the coordinator of the Pojanluoma village security team. Marko Heikkilä Ilmajoki states.
The team needs a wide range of skills, so depending on the needs and resources of the village, it can include, for example, hunters, vape workers, agricultural and homemakers, members of the diaconate, reservists and people with first aid skills. However, the desire to help is important, we all make a difference.
Joint efforts are familiar to the villages
The village security team was created based on the villages' own demand and needs. When the idea of a village security team was raised, villages began to ask for more detailed information about what such a village security team entails.
To assemble the village security team, 12 tasks were defined with descriptions. Nothing new has been invented, but the tasks are those that villages will tackle in any case in a disturbance situation. As a ready-organized team, information can be passed on and the tasks required by the situation can be started more quickly.
The village security team must have a coordinator who convenes the team and gathers and forwards information in the necessary directions. When searching for a lost person, the local knowledge of the village hunters is valuable information for the Vapepa situation management. In the event of a forest fire raging in the area, the rescue service is helped by information about nearby water intake points. In the event of an accident, skilled volunteers may be needed to direct traffic to a detour or clear the way for, for example, emergency vehicles, the electricity company or social and health service professionals providing support services to residents. Villages often also have the expertise and the opportunity to prepare food for a large group if the situation lasts longer and the rescuers and volunteers need supplies.
The team also plays a major role in increasing the safety experience of the villagers. Anyone can find themselves in a situation where they need outside help, but especially for elderly or disabled villagers, knowing where help is available nearby is important.
Check out the materials for assembling a village security team.