Suomen Meripelastusseura ry – Finlands Sjöräddningssällskap rf 1 Central Baltic Programme Workshop Southern Finland – Estonia sub-programme

Finnish Lifeboat Society 2 PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Jori Nordström & Ene Kalmus

Finnish Lifeboat Society YEARS OF VOLUNTARY MARITIME RESCUE  The first voluntary lifeboat station in Finland was established on the Island Suursaari in  The foundation of Finnish Lifeboat Society was rushed by two major marine accidents in the 1890’s.  The Collision of SS Ajax and SS Runeberg and the Sinking of KRNS Rusalkan in1893 in the Gulf of Finland- 177 lives were lost.  The Finnish Lifeboat Society was founded in Helsinki.  The first motorised lifeboat was launched in Hanko  The first Rescue Cruiser Outoori was launched  The first steel-hull Rescue Cruiser Harmaja was launched  100-year Anniversary of the FLBS

Finnish Lifeboat Society  Founded 1897  A registered charity  65 lifeboat stations in total  31 at coastal area  34 at inland lakes  2000 active crewmembers, all volunteers  Over members  150 lifeboats  Over 1000 calls per year  Headquarters in Helsinki  FLBI’s primary function is to save lives at sea and on inland waters and to assist persons in distress THE FINNISH LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION  Our core values Selflessness People orientation Safety Competence Environmentaly friendly

Suomen Meripelastusseura ry – Finlands Sjöräddningssällskap rf Esitys REVIVAL OF VOLUNTARY MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE SERVICES IN ESTONIA

Finnish Lifeboat Society Finnish and Estonian SAR-capability in light weather conditions

Finnish Lifeboat Society Finnish and Estonian SAR-capability in severe weather conditions

Finnish Lifeboat Society = Rescue cruiser (> 20 m vessels) Tallinn St. Petersburg = Rescue boats (< 20 m vessels)  12 Lifeboat Stations  5 rescue cruisers  15 rescue boats FINNISH LIFEBOAT STATIONS Helsinki  Heavy Recreational Boating  Weekly rescue activities with boats in need of assistance

Finnish Lifeboat Society = Coast Guard Station with SAR vessels Tallinn St. Petersburg FINNISH COAST GUARD STATIONS Helsinki  9 Coast Guard Stations  2 coast guard cutters  10 rescue boats  5 fast rescue boats  Heavy Recreational Boating  Weekly rescue activities with boats in need of assistance

Finnish Lifeboat Society  The pilot project initiates the revival of voluntary Maritime Search and Rescue services in Estonia from the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.  The Long Term Objectives for the Program  Improving SAR-capabilities in the Estonian coast to meet the International standards  Standardizing the level of Maritime Safety in the GOF  Decrease the need of Finnish SAR-unit assistance in the Estonian waters  Improving safety of the leisure boaters in the GOF Central Baltic Interreg III A –programme

Finnish Lifeboat Society  Programme Partners  The Finnish Lifeboat Institution in Finland  Toila, Vihula and Lohusuu Municipalities in Estonia  Funding  EU 56 %  Finland 38 %  Estonia 6 %  Budget altogether EUR Interreg III A –programme Vihula Toila Lohusuu

Finnish Lifeboat Society Interreg III A –programme  The Objectives of the Project  Organizing recruitment of volunteers in Estonia  Organizing volunteer groups (in Toila, Vihula and Lohusuu areas)  Establishing good relations with the relevant authorities  Providing volunteers with familiarization in search and rescue

Finnish Lifeboat Society  Accomplished  Two training / familiarization events in Estonia  One three-day-course in Finland  Altogether 72 hours  Subjects  Voluntary Maritime Rescue Service in Finland  The principles, organization and operations of the FLBI  Cooperation with the Authorities  Maritime Rescue Service in Estonia  Some basics in steeringa small boat  Main reasons for of the SAR-missions and rescue techniques  Practicing sea rescue and life-saving techniques  Voluntary Maritime Rescue Training System in Finland Interreg III A –programme

Finnish Lifeboat Society  Negotiations  With the Ministry of the Internal Affairs in Estonia determining the role of the voluntary Maritime Rescue Service in Estonia  22 November round-table meeting with The Ministry of the Internal Affairs and The Ministry of Defence from Estonia and the Finnish Maritime Administration, The Finnish Coast Guard and the FLBI from Finland. Interreg III A –programme

Finnish Lifeboat Society  The key objectives for further development  Handing over four relatively new, fully outfitted lifeboats to Estonia and four new similar vessels will be acquired for the Finnish services to replace them.  Providing the basic SAR- and vessel-specific training for the voluntary crews in Estonia  According to the original plans “Phase 2” was due to start in summer/autumn 2008 Interreg III A –programme – ”Phase 2”

Suomen Meripelastusseura ry – Finlands Sjöräddningssällskap rf 16 Esitys INTERREG IV A Programme Voluntary Maritime Rescue VOMARE

Finnish Lifeboat Society  Programme Partners  The Finnish Lifeboat Institution in Finland  Vihula, Toila, Lohusuu and Mustve Communities in Estonia  Funding  EU 65 %  Finland 30 %  Estonia 5 %  Budget altogether EUR Interreg IV A –programme – VOMARE Vihula Toila Lohusuu Lead PartnerThe Finnish Lifeboat InstitutionFinland ERDFNat. PublicNat. PrivateTotal Partner 2Municipality of VihulaEstonia ERDFNat. PublicNat. PrivateTotal Total Project Budget Mustve

Finnish Lifeboat Society 18 VOMARE Project Summary This project will revive voluntary Estonian maritime search and rescue operations in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland and create co-operation between Finnish and Estonian volunteer maritime search and rescue systems. The project will develop a constructive framework and favorable conditions for partnership between the public and the third sectors, it will generate significant public savings and improve the safety and security of citizens. The main tasks of the project are to equip and hand over four fully equipped rescue vessels to the pilot voluntary maritime rescue groups in Estonia and to supply similar new vessels to the Finnish Lifeboat Institution. Setting up voluntary maritime search and rescue systems and providing the necessary training for the voluntaries are inseparably tied to rescue technique and technology and rescue management

Finnish Lifeboat Society 19 VOMARE Activities The project will organize 7 different 2-3 days trainings for the voluntaries (4 in Estonia and 3 in Finland) –it will train and educate the local voluntary maritime rescue groups in basic seamanship, navigation, rescue and first aid skills At the same time there will be organized co-operation and practical training between Finnish and Estonian voluntary groups –the project will support joint activities of 4 Estonian and 4 Finnish voluntary rescue groups. In Estonia it is very important to start activities of the development group of the voluntary maritime rescue system. –In this group there will representatives from of the Estonian Border Guard, Rescue Guard and Department of Migration and Border Policy of Ministry of the Interior, also voluntaries and specialists of the Finnish Border Guard and the Finnish Lifeboat Institution. –This group will work with different legislation, financing and organizational problems to develop the voluntary maritime and lake rescue activities and organization

Finnish Lifeboat Society 20 VOMARE International added value The project will organize an International Conference of the voluntary maritime rescue in Tallinn and Helsinki to perform the started co-operation between Finnish and Estonian partners and develop the integration into International Co-Operation in Baltic Sea Region

Finnish Lifeboat Society 21 VOMARE Objectives 1/2  The primary objective of the project is to revive voluntary maritime search and rescue operations in Estonia based on the natural desire of individuals to offer their help to one an other.  This general objective is divided into several more specific aims: 1.to provide overall familiarity with voluntary maritime search and rescue operations as described in the Geneva Convention, International Co-Operation and the culture of safety and security in the West. 2.to bring together boaters and sea-spirited people interested in voluntary maritime search and rescue operations within its sphere of activities, and to set up new search and rescue units in Estonia. 3.to arrange basic training for the new volunteers

Finnish Lifeboat Society 22 VOMARE Objectives 2/2  This general objective is divided into several more specific aims: 4.to equip and locate four rescue vessels at different Estonian harbors in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, and finally 5.to train the volunteers for search and rescue missions. The majority of volunteers will be trained in the use of the rescue vessels

Finnish Lifeboat Society 23 The project will also work as a framework for a more extensive objective which is to organize the administration of the voluntary maritime search and rescue in Estonia, and create the foundation for sustainable and continuous fund raising, as well as to integrate the Baltic Sea area of Estonia into the sphere of international operations during the programme period. Sustainability

Finnish Lifeboat Society 24 VOMARE Results The concluded project will standardize the level of maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland over long term. It will directly improve the safety of Finnish and Estonian boaters as they sail in Estonian waters. Voluntary maritime search and rescue also adds to the responsibility of boaters and therefore improves their own safety on waterways and contributes to the costs of running the service. This will save governmental resources significantly in the future. Within the framework of this project, also co-operation in the exchange of experience and material aid between the voluntary maritime search and rescue systems and governmental organizations will deepen and further develop

Suomen Meripelastusseura ry – Finlands Sjöräddningssällskap rf 25 Ene Kalmus Project Coordinator Jori Nordström Project Manager THANK YOU! - ANY QUESTIONS - ANY QUESTIONS