Finland to send rescue team to Portugal to combat wildfire

Finland will participate in a rescue service deployment by sending 48 experts in international civil protection to Portugal, said Ministry of the Interior in a press release on Wednesday.

The Ministry has decided to deploy two groups of rescue personnel to Portugal.

The first group will leave on August 1 and the second on August 16.

Both groups will work in Portugal for about two weeks.

Portugal sent an advance request for assistance in managing wildfires through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

Portugal's request will be met with a deployment of rescue service teams that bring together personnel from several EU Member States. These rescue service teams will support local authorities in case of wildfires.

“Deployments are part of EU-level preparedness. One of the objectives of such deployments is to strengthen shared practices and collaboration of European ground forest fire fighting modules,” said Pekka Tiainen, Senior Specialist in Department for Rescue Services at Ministry of the Interior.

In addition to Portugal, the EU will deploy rescue service teams to Spain, Greece and France this year.

More than 500 rescue workers from Member States will participate in rescue service deployments.

In previous years, Finland has sent rescue personnel to Portugal and Greece.

Rescue workers from the rescue departments of North Savo, North Karelia, South Savo, South Karelia and Kymenlaakso will participate in the deployment to Portugal.

Additionally, four experts in international civil protection will be deployed in expert roles.

The group will be led by Jani Kareinen, Chief Executive Officer of Rescue Services at the Rescue Department of South Karelia and Teemu Veneskari, Rescue Chief at the Rescue Department of Kymenlaakso.