Firefighters in central Ostrobothnia and Jakobstad (Pietarsaari in Finnish) on Finland’s west coast have attracted international attention with recent social media posts.
In one post, a fireman from Veteli in Central Ostrobothnia demonstrates his skill worming his body through the rungs of a ladder — a space just 27 x 27 centimetres square — while clad in full firefighting gear.
The video proved to be a winner on Facebook, racking up nearly four million views, more than 34,000 shares and attracting 3,000 comments from as far afield as Asia. The station’s Facebook posts usually reach about 800,000 people in a year.
"We are used to tight spots. Here’s a concrete example from Veteli, where we simulate a situation with the 27 x 27-centimetre space between the rungs of a ladder," the rescue service said on Facebook.
"Do not try this at home! And if you do, remember to have an assistant on hand to call us to [also] help you get out of this scrape," the post continued.
"More than muscle" needed for the job
Fire chief Antti Kätevä said that the video demonstrates that more than muscle is required for the job.
"A firefighter also needs to be agile and flexible," he declared, adding that it would have been good to embed a reminder about fire safety at Christmas time.
"But maybe that would not have been as funny or interesting," he noted.
The idea for the video came from an Eastern European version, but the Veteli firefighter chose an even smaller space for the stunt.
Safety communications specialist Juha Hassila of the Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK )said he salutes the more relaxed videos, adding that communications have become more diverse and there is a demand for many different types of content.
He noted that it is still important to build awareness, but that there has been an increase in the use of more fun, light-hearted content.
"They improve the profession’s image and more: they highlight concrete examples of how these guys can operate in challenging situations," Hassila pointed out.
Media students film fire truck Christmas greeting
A seasonal greeting involving fire trucks by rescue services in central Ostrobothnia and Jakobstad has also proven to be highly popular on social media. In it, seven fire trucks flash their lights to the beat of American progressive rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra's track, Wizards in Winter from the 2004 album, The Lost Christmas Eve.
The video accumulated 90,000 views in 24 hours on Facebook and attracted a great deal of positive reaction. It was shot on a snowy morning at the side of a busy road opposite the fire station.
Fire chief Kätevä said that the idea was spawned by an offer rescue workers could not refuse — media students pitched in to record the video as part of their study programme.
"We certainly have many tools and skills, but you can see from the editing that there is a difference between an experienced user and a novice," he quipped.
The video carries an explicit warning to persons with a sensitivity to flashing lights. It was tweeted with a Christmas greeting in multiple languages, including Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian, among others.
"Hyvää joulua! God Jul! Merry Christmas! Buriid juovllaid! Joyeux Noël! Frohe Weinachten! Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale! С рождеством! 聖誕快樂 "