Rescue plan, fire inspection and escape safety 2026

Who needs a rescue plan

The rescue plan is governed by the Rescue Act (379/2011) and the Government Decree on rescue services (407/2011). The Decree lists the sites for which a plan must be drawn up. The Ministry of the Interior's Rescue plan general guide, published in 2026, compiles the sites, and the most common of them are listed below.

Residential buildings with at least three dwellings.
Accommodation businesses and campsites, and temporary accommodation for at least 20 people.
Shops with a floor area of over 400 m² and shopping centres.
Restaurants with more than 50 customer seats.
Industrial, production and warehouse buildings with a floor area of over 1,500 m².
Workplaces that normally have at least 50 employees or other persons at the same time.
Care facilities, schools, daycare centres and assembly spaces such as sports halls and theatres.

What the plan includes and who is responsible

The plan records the assessment of hazards and risks, the safety arrangements of the building and its premises, instructions for preventing accidents and acting in dangerous situations, and other self-preparedness measures. A housing company also takes exceptional circumstances into account in accordance with section 14 of the Rescue Act.

Responsibility lies with the holder of the building or area. In a housing company this means the board and the property manager, in a business the operator. You can have the plan drawn up by an outside party, but responsibility for its content and adequacy stays with the holder. Appointing a safety officer does not transfer legal responsibility.

Updates and communication

The plan must be kept up to date so that its content matches the actual situation. The Ministry of the Interior's general guide recommends checking it at least once a year and whenever the building's purpose of use, layout, escape routes, users or legislation change, or an accident or near miss occurs.

Residents, employees and others involved in carrying out the plan must be informed of it and, where necessary, trained. According to the Finnish Real Estate Federation, the plan should be given to every dwelling and to new tenants. The plan does not need to be sent in advance to the rescue service, but it must be possible to present it during supervision, such as a fire inspection.

A fire inspection is risk-based supervision

The rescue service draws up a supervision plan under section 79 of the Rescue Act, and the inspection interval is determined by the risks of the site and earlier inspections. For example, in the Central Ostrobothnia rescue service's 2026 plan, inspection intervals for non-residential buildings range from one year to ten years. Residential buildings are supervised mainly through the owner's self-monitoring: the housing company fills in the self-monitoring form sent by the rescue service, and a visit is made on site if the form is not returned or the answers give cause for one.

Supervisory measures are subject to a fee under section 96 of the Rescue Act. The fees are decided by the regional council of the wellbeing services county, so the tariff varies by area. If deficiencies are found in an inspection, the rescue authority issues a corrective order, and failure to comply may lead to administrative coercion.

Evacuation safety report for care and assisted housing

In care facilities and in service and supported housing where residents' functional capacity is lower than usual, the operator must draw up an evacuation safety report. This is provided for in the Rescue Act and Government Decree 292/2014. The report is prepared before operations begin, submitted to the rescue service and updated at least every three years or whenever operations change materially.

The assessment describes how the use of the building, the residents' functional capacity and other factors have been taken into account in the evacuation arrangements. If safety is not sufficient, the operator must draw up an implementation plan to correct the shortcomings.

Checklist for businesses and housing companies

Safety Radar brings together security services and the authorities' current guidance. You can also get advice from your own area's rescue service.

Find out whether your site falls within the scope of the rescue plan obligation.
Review the plan at least once a year and record the updates.
Keep escape routes, signage and fire-fighting equipment in good order and unobstructed.
Hold an evacuation drill and brief new employees and residents.
Return the rescue service's self-monitoring form by the deadline.
Take care of smoke alarms. Responsibility for the smoke alarms in apartments passed to housing companies on 1.1.2026, as explained in Turvatutka's smoke alarm guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does a semi-detached house with two homes need a rescue plan?

In residential buildings, the obligation applies to buildings with at least three dwellings. A semi-detached house is therefore generally not covered by the obligation.

Does a rescue plan have to be sent to the rescue service?

Not in advance. However, you must be able to present the plan during supervision, such as a fire inspection.

How often must the evacuation safety report be updated?

At least every three years or whenever the activity changes significantly.

Is a fire inspection subject to a fee?

The rescue service can charge a fee for supervision under section 96 of the Rescue Act. The wellbeing services county decides the fee schedule.

Safety Radar brings together the topic's figures, deadlines and services. Open Safety Radar →

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.