The City of Hamina and organizations are intensifying cooperation in preparedness

The third sector preparedness evening was held at the Town Hall on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Targeted third sector actors were invited to the event: from various departments of the Voluntary Rescue Service, the Hamina Region Reservists and the Hamina Reserve Officers' Club, the Kymen Viestikilla, the Finnish Red Cross, many hunting clubs, the Hamina radio amateurs, the Neuvoton-Salmi Martos, the Lupin Shooting Range Association, the Kymenlaakso Kyl, and the Southeast Finland Orthodox and Hamina Evangelical Lutheran parishes.

At first, Toni Puustinen, the Security Manager of the City of Hamina, presented the preparedness of the City of Hamina to the audience. The law obliges cities to secure statutory functions also in exceptional situations. The preparedness of the City of Hamina is based on the regional risk assessment of Kymenlaakso and of course on various disruptions to normal conditions, such as disruptions in electricity distribution. Preparedness is practiced about three times a year using different themes, the most recent exercise was the regional Kaakko25 exercise. 

The second speaker was Siru Ahopelto from Kymenlaakso Villages, who spoke about the villages' preparedness. Siru works Kymenlaakso Village Resource Project as project manager. Currently, the project is mapping village houses. A communal space in the village can act as a local preparedness center, which many different actors can utilize regionally. The project aims to, among other things, conduct security surveys and thereby plans, activate new actors in security work, develop village radio operations and help villages develop their own readiness to act in exceptional situations.

After the presentations, the audience was divided into three groups to discuss the preparedness of actors in disruptions and exceptional situations. The purpose of the discussion was to increase awareness and form common operating models between actors. The third sector actors involved have diverse expertise in operating in various disruptions and exceptional situations.

After the group discussions, the discussions were compiled together. The discussions had yielded good views on the availability and capabilities of the personnel, various contract needs and insurance issues, and the possibilities and significance of organization. The importance of soft security had also emerged in the discussions, for example in the form of neighborly help. Based on the discussions, the city of Hamina is developing its preparedness processes and cooperation with the third sector.