In less than a week, 85 donors from all over the country have taken part in a collection for Ukraine organised by the Finnish Central Organisation for Rescue Services (Spek).
The Ukrainian Rescue Service had sent a list detailing their needs, and Finnish emergency responders have sent what they could.
Petri Jaatinen, Spek’s fire brigade director, said they received donations of 700 helmets, 600 fire suits, 33 chainsaws, 30 response modems, 8 motorised sprayers and 4 heaters.
The fire brigades utilised their existing networks to organise donations and purchase items like new chainsaws to send to Ukraine.
According to Jaatinen, the initiative for the donation drive came from active fire brigade members. The majority of donations have come from Finland’s fire departments, but companies and a few rescue services are also involved.
Next up, Finnish emergency personnel are looking to send larger equipment including vehicles to their colleagues in Ukraine.
Assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Spek know what's required and how to get it, and that's key for a successful aid shipment.
"There is quite a logistical mess, so it is not worth sending anything that has not already been requested. The latest list also includes a huge number of different accessories, including 70,000 chemical protection suits, for which they have expressed an acute need," Jaatinen said.
The aid will be delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. According to Jaatinen, this guarantees that help will go to the right people.
“The first shipment of emergency equipment has already arrived, along with lots of other donations, and several shipments of supplies have been sent to Polish collection points through this mechanism. From the collection points, they are transported to Ukraine depending on their needed priority,” Jaatinen detailed.
Jaatinen said he assumes that the need for help will remain steady.
"In situations like this they're forced to recruit civilians to help with rescue assistance. There is usually no preparation for this, so the collection now is especially important in the daily lives of Ukrainians," he told Yle.