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Introduction

The drafting, upkeep and communication of the rescue plan are based on the requirement of the Rescue Act (379/2011). In this rescue plan, there is an account:

  1. for the conclusions of the assessment of hazards and risks;
  2. for the safety arrangements of the building and the premises used in the operations;
  3. regarding the instructions to be given to people for the prevention of accidents and acting in accident and danger situations;
  4. other possible actions for independent preparation at the location. (Rescue Act 379/2011, Section 15))

The rescue plan must be kept up to date and it must be communicated in the necessary way to the persons in the relevant building or other site. (Government Decree on Rescue Action 407/2011, Section 2.)

There are also other requirements for safety in the Rescue Act; the most important of these are:
The owner and holder of the building and the operator must, for their part take care that the building, structure and its surroundings are kept in such condition that:

  1. the risk of the starting, intentional starting and spreading of a fire is slight;
  2. the people in the building can vacate the building in the event of fire or other sudden danger situation or they can be rescued in another way;
  3. rescue operations are possible in the event of fire or another accident;
  4. the safety of rescue personnel has been taken into account. (Rescue Act 379/2011, Section 9))

The following equipment and devices must be kept in working order and serviced and inspected appropriately:

  1. extinguishing, rescue and prevention equipment;
  2. devices that facilitate extinguishing and rescue work;
  3. fire detection, alarm and other devices signalling the risk of an accident;
  4. the lighting and signs of the exit routes;
  5. the equipment and devices of the civil defence shelters (Rescue Act 379/2011, Section 12))

The owner and holder of the building and the operator must, for their part:

  1. the starting of fires is to be prevented, as well as the arising of other hazardous situations;
  2. the protection of persons, property and the surroundings in danger situations is to be prepared for;
  3. the extinguishing of fires, and other such rescue measures that they are able to do independently, are to be prepared for;
  4. start action for securing safe exit from fires and other danger situations, as well as action for making rescue operations easier. (Rescue Act 379/2011, Section 14))

Basic property information

Kolme kerrostaloa, joissa 6 - 7 kerrosta. Yhteensä 70 huoneistoa.

Basic information

Property name Haso Sorsavuorenkatu 8
Building address Sorsavuorenkatu 8
00810 HELSINKI
Number of apartments 70
Building type Apartment building
Number of floors 5 - 6
Year of construction of the property 1997
Property owner Helsingin Asumisoikeus Oy
tel. 0102285000
https://www.haso.fi/
Housing management office Retta Management
tel. 0102285000

Organisation

Hosted by Soile Linho
phone 0102289000
soile.linho@retta.fi

Other information

The site falls within the area of the following rescue service: Helsinki .

Heating type District heating
Main water shutoff B-talo, pohjakerros; lämmönjakohuone
Heat distribution room B-talo, pohjakerros
Electricity switchboard B-talo, pohjakerros
Ventilation device
Air ventilation emergency stop

Porrasauloissa iv-hätäseis-kytkimet
Maintenance Alltime
phone 010 583 7070
service 010 583 7070
Gathering area Pysäköintialue
Back-up gathering area Määritetään tarvittaessa

Division of responsibility

Party Area of responsibility
Property management Responsible for the management of the entire property, managing maintenance contracts and equivalent matters, addressing reported security or other breaches or assigning them to other parties. The manager is the contact person for regulatory control and other such matters and participates in e.g. fire inspection rounds
Property maintenance Responsible for the technical systems and security devices on the property, management of the yard area, necessary snow clearing etc. The maintenance person observes any issues while moving around the property and manages them on their own or reports the issue to the manager.
Resident The resident is responsible for their own living area and storage booth as well as their movables and operations in the company. The property systems or fixed structures on the residents' premises are managed by the maintenance company.
Normal information flow in terms of deficiencies: Resident--- Maintenance company --- Management

The residents can report the safety observations or other deficiencies to the maintenance or the property management by phone or by e-mail, the necessary contact information can be found e.g. in the "Organisation" chapter of this plan.

Important phone numbers

Important numbers of the property

Task Name Telephone number Service phone number
Maintenance company Alltime 010 583 7070 010 583 7070

Other important numbers

Operator Telephone number Duty hours
Public emergency numbers 112 24 h
Poison information centre 0800 147 111 24 h

Hazardous situations and their effects

Hazard is an object or condition that can cause harm or an adverse effect on someone or something.

Risk is an evaluation of harm based on a combination of probability and severity.

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Risk and probability Reasons for occurence Consequence
Arson (unlikely) Waste station, vehicles, items placed along the building exterior wall, any excess items placed in the stair enclosure Property damage, risk of personal injury
Fire (possible) Open fire, candles, smoking, electrical equipment, electrical distribution rooms and installations, vehicles, hot work, cooking Personal injuries and property damages
Malicious damage, vandalism (unlikely) Lack of lighting, exterior door or other door to a common area left open
Accident (possible) Construction site around the property, slippery conditions, lack of protective equipment, snow falling from the roof, accident at work, cuts/burns at the restaurant, getting injured in the gym area, falling down/slipping in the sauna/shower room Disruption of activities, Personal injuries
Water damage (possible) Shortcomings in maintenance/supervision, freezing, blockage, equipment failure, a storm Costs, Disruption of activities, Interruption of activities
Gas-related hazard (unlikely) Transport of dangerous goods to nearby areas, fire incident in a nearby area Lightning strike, storm, equipment malfunction, neglect of maintenance
Traffic accident (possible) Heavy traffic due to construction sites, traffic in the nearby area, traffic in the yard area
Violence (unlikely) Customer, outside person
Exposure to radiation (exceptional circumstances) Radiation accident Taking cover indoors
Theft (unlikely) Exterior door or other door to a common area left open, opening the door to a stranger Property damage. Risk of personal injury.
Accident (possible) In the wintertime, slippery conditions, snow or ice falling from the roof, falling down in the staircase/common area/own flat
Radiation danger (exceptional situation) Radiation accident Taking cover indoors
Water damage (possible) Shortcomings in maintenance/supervision, freezing, blockage, equipment failure, a storm
Accident (possible) Construction site around the property, slippery conditions, lack of protective equipment, snow falling from the roof, accident at work, cuts/burns at the restaurant, getting injured in the gym area, falling down/slipping in the sauna/shower room Disruption of activities, Personal injuries
Water damage (possible) Shortcomings in maintenance/supervision, freezing, blockage, equipment failure, a storm Costs, Disruption of activities, Interruption of activities
Gas-related hazard (unlikely) Transport of dangerous goods to nearby areas, fire incident in a nearby area Lightning strike, storm, equipment malfunction, neglect of maintenance
Traffic accident (possible) Heavy traffic due to construction sites, traffic in the nearby area, traffic in the yard area
Violence (unlikely) Customer, outside person
Exposure to radiation (exceptional circumstances) Radiation accident Taking cover indoors
Gas-related hazard (unlikely) Transport of dangerous goods to nearby areas, fire incident in a nearby area Taking cover indoors
Power outage (possible) Lightning, storm, equipment failure Equipment breakdown
Traffic accident (possible) Traffic in a nearby area, traffic in the yard area
Säteilyvaara (poikkeustilanne) Säteilyonnettomuus Suojautuminen sisätiloihin
Radiation hazard (unlikely) Radiation accident Taking cover indoors

Safety procedures

Safety equipment

Ventilation emergency stop

If the building is subjected to an external danger, such as fire gases from an adjacent building, the ventilation must be shut off. In such a case, the rescue authorities usually issue an emergency warning, providing additional instructions, such as to turn off ventilation systems.

Air ventilation can be stopped by anyone.

Ventilation emergency stop: Porrasauloissa iv-hätäseis-kytkimet

Fire safety

Smoke detector

The purpose of fire alarms is to alert of any imminent fire. This will enable measures to extinguish the fire, warn others and take rescue measures.

Smoke detector
Description Asuinhuoneistoissa, kerhotilassa ja osassa porrastasanteita palovaroittimet.

Rescue route

The rescue way is a drive way, which the rescue department's vehicles can use in emergency situations to reach to within close proximity of the building.

  • It is not permitted to park cars, pile up snow, set up lampposts, plant vegetation, or do, leave, or set up anything else that might block traffic on the rescue way.
  • Escape routes must be indicated with a text sign in accordance with Ministry of the Interior decree no. 468 of 2003.
  • A rescue way sign is not used if the rescue way is not marked in the building's construction permits.
  • Please contact rescue authorities for advice on any escape route questions.
Rescue route
Description On merkitty

Hot work

Hot work is defined as work in which sparks arise or in which naked flames or other heat sources are used and may cause a fire hazard. Such work includes e.g. oxyacetylene and arc welding, flame and arc cutting, disc cutting and metal grinding, which create sparks, as well as work involving the use of gas burners, other open fire or combustion air blowers.

Performing hot work at a temporary hot work site always requires a permission granted by a person responsible for the hot work. The hot work permission ensures the actions of the different parties regarding safety and fire protection. The person conducting the hot work must have a hot work licence.

The property manager office grants the hot work permissions.

Other arrangements

Ventilation device

Ventilation device
Description Huoneistokohtainen tulo- ja poistoilmanvaihtojärjestelmä + LTO
Emergency stop switch location Porrasauloissa iv-hätäseis-kytkimet

Action guidelines

The following pages contain a guide on accident prevention and on how to act in accident and danger situations. Read the action guide carefully!

The correct actions, solutions, and choices prevent and limit accidents. This way accidents can be minimised or they can be prevented altogether.

Safety and security are our shared concern!

Alerting help

In all urgent emergency situations, whether it be a police, fire department, paramedic, or a social worker case involving an urgent need for help CALL THE EMERGENCY NUMBER: 112

Call the emergency number yourself if you can
It is important to make the emergency call yourself, if the matter concerns you. The victim has more knowledge on the situation, based on which the dispatcher can send help accordingly. Using middle-men to make the call can delay getting the right kind of help on site.
Tell what happened
The emergency centre dispatcher will ask the caller about what happened so that they can send the appropriate assistance.
Give the exact address and municipality
The emergency centre might have several same addresses in different municipalities/cities in its service area. Therefore it is also important to know the name of the town/city/municipality where the accident has taken place.
Answer the questions that are asked of you
The questions asked by the dispatcher are important. They do not delay alarming for help. In urgent cases the dispatcher already alerts the authorities and other partners during the call, and gives them more information on what has happened.
Act according to the information given to you
The dispatcher is trained to give instructions in various types of situations. It is important to follow the given instructions. Correct initial actions often play an important role in the end result.
End the call only after you're given permission to do so.
Ending the call too soon may delay the help from arriving. After you are given the permission to end the call, end it. Keep the phone line open. The dispatcher or the help on its way may need additional information on what has happened.

Sudden illness or accident

Find out what happened
  • Has the person fallen or fainted?
  • Are there possibly eye witnesses, that can tell you better about what has happened?
Check the person's condition
  • Can you wake the person up by talking or shaking?
Check breathing
  • If the person doesn't wake up, check breathing: place the back of your hand in front of the patient's mouth and feel if there is air flow.
Make an emergency call.
  • Call the number 112.
  • Tell where you are calling from.
  • Tell what happened
  • Act according to directions.
Give first aid if needed.
  • If the person is not breathing, start with first aid.
Turn an unconscious but breathing patient into the recovery position on their side.
Observe the patient.
  • If there are changes in the patient's condition before the rescue department arrives, notify them by calling the emergency number 112, so that the emergency centre can re-evaluate your situation.
Guide the professional help quickly to the patient
  • Tell the professional help what has happened and what has been done.

Fire

Save
  • Make an assessment of the situation. Rescue those in immediate danger.
  • Be careful not to breathe smoke! Smoke is highly toxic and you can lose consciousness quickly if you breathe it.
Warn
  • Warn others in the building about the fire and the threatening danger.
  • Direct people to the gathering area.
Alert
  • Call the emergency number 112 from a safe location.
  • Tell who you are, where the fire is (address and floor), what is on fire, and if there are people in danger.
  • Do not hang up the phone until you are given permission to do so.
Extinguish
  • Perform initial extinguishing measures, where possible.
  • A grease fire is extinguished by suffocating it with a fire blanket.
  • When an electrical appliance is on fire, disconnect power and begin extinguishing the fire.
Limit
  • Remove fire sensitive items and flammable liquids.
  • Contain the spread of fire and smoke by closing windows and the door as you exit.
Guide
  • Direct the rescue personnel to the location or arrange guidance. For example: one person stays to guide on the side of the parking lot and another next to the building.

In evacuation situations the gathering area is: Pysäköintialue

Back-up gathering area: Määritetään tarvittaessa

Action in the gathering area

Gathering area: Pysäköintialue

When people have left the building and proceeded to the gathering area, one person must be appointed to take responsibility for the activities at the gathering area. Based on the situation at hand, it is necessary to consider whether it is safe to remain in the designated gathering area or if people should be directed elsewhere, for example into a pre-arranged interior area or to a property in the vicinity (the back-up gathering area).

Do not leave the gathering area without the permission of the rescue authorities.

Factors to bear in mind in the gathering area:

  • taking care of any possible injured parties
  • looking after people with reduced mobility or otherwise poor physical condition
  • if one is aware of someone having remained inside, this is to be reported

Back-up gathering area

Back-up gathering area: Määritetään tarvittaessa

In severe winter conditions or other situations, an additional gathering area may be needed. Authorities will also provide instructions about shelter locations for long-term shelter.

Assisting people with reduced mobility in emergency situations

In an emergency situation, the movement of people with reduced mobility out of the building may be difficult and slow. If you know there is a neighbour with reduced mobility, for example handicapped, blind, or elderly, try to secure their safe exit in emergency situations. If you know your neighbour is at home, but you are not able to assist in moving them out, notify the rescue authorities about the situation as fast as possible.

Work in cooperation with the other residents.

Things to consider when helping people with reduced mobility
  • Help a person with reduced mobility to exit, within the limits of your own capabilities.
  • Listen to the person you're helping.
  • Take care of the person you helped also after getting out.

Water damage

Action guide
  • Disconnect power from where the leak is and from its proximity.
  • Stop the water from flowing, from i.e. the water mains, if possible.
  • Notify of the situation immediately:
    • to the maintenance personnel: Alltime, phone 010 583 7070, service 010 583 7070
    • to the housing manager: Soile Linho, tel. 0102289000
  • Contact the emergency number if needed 112.
  • Main water shutoff: B-talo, pohjakerros; lämmönjakohuone
  • Heat distribution room: B-talo, pohjakerros
  • Electricity switchboard: B-talo, pohjakerros
Should there be threat of water outside the building
  • Find out what is causing the water threat.
  • If there is a leak, try to block it.
  • Try to prevent the water from getting into the building.
    • by baggings
    • by using plastic covers
    • by directing the water away from the building
  • Call for additional help if needed.

Under threat of violence

In an unarmed threatening situation, act in the following way.

  • Act calmly and try to calm the person with your behaviour.
  • Make sure you do not turn your back or let yourself be cornered, so that you will always have an escape route when a threatening person comes close.
  • Call for help depending on the circumstances.
  • Escape and help others escape.

Take care of your own safety. Seek to direct the threatening person to a place where they cannot harm others. After the event, contact the police about the incident if required.

If the threatening person is armed, act in the following way.

  • Do not resist.
  • Do whatever the person threatening you tells you to do.
  • As the situation permits, try to warn others.
  • By closing doors, you can limit a person's movement within the property.
  • After the situation, call 112 to get professional help on site as fast as possible. Listen to directions and act accordingly.

Every threat and sighting of a possibly threatening situation must be taken seriously and the police must be informed immediately. Through your own behaviour, you can affect the progress of the situation, and thus you should take all threatening situations seriously and try to calm down already begun situations.

Public warning signal

The public warning signal is a one-minute-long ascending and descending tone or a warning announcement by the authorities. The length of the ascending tone is 7 seconds.

The public warning signal means an immediate danger threatening the public. The warning is given in population centres with an outdoor alarm system and with an alarm attached to a vehicle in rural areas.

The All Clear signal is a one-minute-long monotonous signal. It is an announcement of the threat or danger having passed.

Act in the following way after you've heard the public warning signal
  • Proceed indoors.
  • Stay indoors.
  • Close doors, windows, ventilation holes, and air conditioning devices.
  • Turn on the radio and wait for instructions.
  • Avoid using the phone to prevent telephone lines from getting jammed.
  • Do not leave the areas unless urged to do so by the authorities, so as not to endanger yourself on the way.

Gas hazard

Public warning signal in danger situations concerning gas

Additional information on the type of danger can be got from radio and television. The following are usually connected with a gas hazard.

  • If you are indoors and can smell gas:
    • stay indoors
    • the top floors make the best shelter
    • place a wet cloth over your mouth and breathe through it
    • stay on the upper floors until the danger is over.
  • If you are outside when you smell gas but are not able to get indoors:
    • hurry into side wind from underneath the gas cloud
    • try to get as high as possible, for example to the top of a hill
    • press a wet cloth, tuft of grass, turf, or moss in front of your mouth and breathe through it.
Additional information on taking cover from gas
  • Switch off air conditioning devices and close doors and windows tightly. The more airtight you can make the building, the slower the gas can get inside.
  • You can also close or tape inside doors and stay in upwind areas. If you smell gas you can breathe through a moist and spongy cloth.
  • The authorities will announce on radio or with vehicles with loudspeakers when the gas cloud has dispersed. Ventilate indoors well after the event.

Säteilyvaara

Säteilytilannetta valvotaan jatkuvasti koko maassa mittareilla. Pienetkin muutokset huomataan heti ja niistä tiedotetaan viipymättä. Säteilyvaarasta annetaan yleinen vaaramerkki.

Mene sisälle

Sisälle suojautuminen on säteilyvaaratilanteessa ensisijainen suojelutoimenpide.

Sulje tiiviisti ovet, ikkunat, tuuletusaukot ja ilmanvaihto, jotta radioaktiiviset aineet eivät pääsisi sisään. Talon keskiosissa on paras suoja.

Joditabletit

Joditablettien ottaminen on toissijainen tukitoimi, jota suositellaan enintään 40-vuotiaille ja raskaana oleville.

Ota joditabletti vasta viranomaisten kehotuksesta, jonka kuulet radiosta tai televisiosta. Joditabletit ehkäisevät radioaktiivisen jodin kertymistä kilpirauhaseen, mutta eivät anna muuta suojaa. Tabletteja ei pidä lähteä vaaratilanteessa noutamaan rakennuksen ulkopuolelta. Jodeja voi hankkia etukäteen apteekista. Joditabletteja tulisi olla 2 per henkilö. Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö suosittelee joditablettien ottamista ydinonnettomuudesta johtuvissa säteilyvaaratilanteissa enintään 40-vuotiaille ja raskaana oleville.

Suojaa ruokasi ja juomavesi

Laita esillä olevat elintarvikkeet muovipusseihin tai tiiviisiin astioihin. Jääkaappi, pakastin ja tiiviit pakkaukset suojaavat radioaktiiviselta pölyltä.

Ulkona liikkuminen

Jos on pakko mennä ulos, käytä tiivistä, ihon peittävää asua, esimerkiksi sadevaatteita. Riisu vaatteet sisälle tullessasi eteiseen ja peseydy huolella. Käytä hengityssuojainta, pyyhettä tai talouspaperia estämään radioaktiivisten hiukkasten pääsy keuhkoihin.

Lisäohjeet

Lisäohjeita saat kaupunkisi pelastusviranomaisilta, tiedotusvälineistä sekä Yleisradion teksti-TV:n sivulta 867. Tietoa saat myös Säteilyturvakeskuksen Internet-sivuilta osoitteesta www.stuk.fi ja pelastustoimen sivuilta www.pelastustoimi.fi.

Blackouts

How to act during a power cut:

  • First check the fuses. If they are intact, find out whether the electricity of your neighbour or neighbouring houses is working.
  • If the electricity is out from a larger area, the problem is already known and actions to fix it have started. Most electricity suppliers have a taped recording of the malfunction on its fault service number, which will give information on the blackout situation in your area.
  • When the electricity comes back but acts unusually, for example the lights burn brighter or dimmer than usual, the reason might a break in the electricity network's neutral wire. This can result in equipment damage, fire and, in the worst case, the risk of electric shock. In such situations, switch off the electricity from the main switch and call your electricity supplier's fault emergency number.
  • When a power cut lasts longer, prepare yourself with warm clothes, especially in the winter, and home storage supplies. Instructions regarding home storage supplies can be found in the appendices.

Hyvä tietää sähkökatkon aikana

  • päällä olleet sähkölaitteet (esim. liesi tai uunit) tulee sammuttaa, jotta niistä ei sähköjen palauduttua aiheudu palovaaraa
  • jääkaappi ja pakastin sammuvat ja niiden avaamista kannattaa välttää, jotta elintarvikkeet eivät ala pilaantua
  • vedentulo voi katketa sähkökatkon aikana, sillä vesilaitoksen pumput toimivat sähköllä

Ennakoiduista sähköpulatilanteista pyritään tiedottamaan etukäteen. Aina tietoa ei ole mahdollista antaa etukäteen. Seuraamalla viranomaistiedotusta esimerkiksi YLE:n kautta saat tietoa ennakoiduista sähkökatkoista.

Civil defence

This property does not have its own civil defence shelter. The property is part of the general civil defence district. Rescue operations are dependent on regional population protection. Rescue operations are also prepared to operate in exceptional conditions. The core tasks are detecting threats and warning about them, maintaining ability to protect the population and taking care of rescue operations and the required additional resources. The objective is the most efficient operation possible in accident situations under exceptional circumstances.

The area rescue authorities work together with the municipalities in the area on civil defence and protection matters. The rescue authorities also ensure their own organisation's preparedness for civil defence in exceptional situations. In civil defence, the necessary rescue, first aid, ambulance, and maintenance set-ups are created only in exceptional circumstances. In these tasks, there are approximately 85,000 people nationwide.

There are 110,000 spaces altogether in the civil defence shelters of Finland. The authorities will give directions via radio if you are supposed to move to a civil defence shelter, along with the information to which shelters people are supposed to go. Moving into the civil defence shelters therefore always happens as a result of direction by the authorities. Accidents occurring in normal times do not generally ever require taking cover in civil defence shelters, with taking cover indoors being sufficient.

The civil defence shelter nearest to the property is Herttoniemenrannan yhteisväestönsuojassa. Sisäänkäynti F.

Safeguard evasion

Safeguard evasion means controlled relocations of members of the population from a danger zone in a situation where this is considered less risky than taking cover indoors. Such situations are for example fast-developing dangerous substance accidents, extensive harm caused by exhaust fumes, danger of explosion, and radiation situations.

Safeguard evasion is always done on a special order from the authorities. The authorities have planned in advance to perform a safeguard evasion from the area and reserved the necessary transportation equipment for it.

Storage

Storing various items can cause a risk of a fire or the risk of a fire spreading, prevent a safe exit during an emergency, or make it more difficult to extinguish the fire. For this reason, you must always handle flammable substances according to their user instructions. Storage of inflammable substances in flats' storage rooms in prohibited.. The building's exits must always be kept clear and free of obstacles.

  • Flats and their balconies, terraces and similar spaces
    • No unnecessary items should be stored in the flats.
  • Exit routes, staircases, internal corridors and access to storage rooms
    • No storage of any kind is allowed.
  • Under the buildings or in their vicinity
    • Do not keep any inflammable material or other items next to the building's walls, such as waste bins, piles of waste cardboard and wooden pallets

Note

If uncertain, please always contact the local fire inspector

Attachments

This rescue plan has the following attachments:

How to use a small fire extinguisher

Extinguishers

  • Turn the extinguisher upside down and shake the extinguisher to ensure the powder's running.
  • Remove the safety pin.
  • Approach the fire from the direction of the wind.
  • If you are indoors, approach low on the floor, as this will improve the visibility.
  • Take a hold of the extinguisher's hose from the end and direct the extinguishing substance at the base of the flames, don't cut through them.
  • Start extinguishing from the front and continue towards the back, or from bottom to top.
  • Extinguishing can be improved with a back and forth motion.
  • The whole area that is burning must be covered in the extinguisher cloud.
  • After the flames are extinguished the extinguishing can be stopped.
  • Observer the burnt object and make sure that the fire is out.
  • If the target catches fire again, repeat the extinguishing.

Extinguishing blankets

  • Take a hold of the corners of the blanket and protect your hands by placing them inside the blanket.
  • Step on the blanket with your foot; this will prevent the flames from getting to your face.
  • If you are outside, approach the fire from the direction of the wind.
  • Extend your arms straight.
  • Spread the blanket over the fire.
  • Hold the blanket tightly over the fire and make sure that the fire is extinguished.
  • Protect yourself while lifting the blanket as the fire can re-ignite.
  • Make sure once more that the fire is extinguished.

Kotivara

Kotivara on osa asukkaiden omatoimista varautumista. Yllättävistä tilanteista selviää vähemmin harmein, kun kotona on kotivara. Kotivara tarkoittaa, että kotiin hankitaan ruokaa ja muita päivittäin välttämättä tarvittavia tavaroita vähän enemmän. Kotivaran pitäisi riittää kolme vuorokautta (72 tuntia). Kotivara on normaalissa kierrossa olevia elintarvikkeita ja tavaroita, joita täydennetään sitä mukaa kun niitä käytetään. Näin elintarvikkeet pysyvät tuoreina ja tavarat käyttökelpoisina.

Tilanne, että kauppaan ei pääse, voi yllättää monestakin syystä.

  • Yksinasuva voi sairastua, eikä kykene ostoksille
  • Yhteiskunta voi haavoittua; tulee lakko, liikenneyhteydet katkeavat tai laaja sähkökatkos häiritsee arkea.
  • Tilanne, jossa kaupat joudutaan sulkemaan tai ulos ei voi lähteä.

Kotivara voi vaihdella sisällöltään talouden ruokatottumusten mukaan sisältäen muun muassa pullotettua vettä, astioita veden varastoimiseen, lääkkeitä, joditabletit sekä talouskohtaisia välttämättömyystarpeita. Näitä ovat mm. henkilökohtaiset lääkkeet, hygieniatarvikkeet, vaipat, paristokäyttöinen radio, taskulamppu ja paristot.