Understanding emergency and safety-related vocabulary is crucial for everyone, especially when traveling to a non-native speaking country. If you find yourself in Finland or interacting with Finnish speakers, knowing certain terms can be a lifesaver in urgent situations. Here are some essential words and phrases to keep in mind:

Hätätilanne means “emergency situation.” It’s used to describe any case that requires immediate attention.
Kun näin tulipalon, tiesin että kyseessä oli hätätilanne.

Ensiapu translates to “first aid.” This term is vital for situations where initial medical care is needed.
Onko täällä ketään, joka osaa antaa ensiapua?

Ambulanssi is the word for “ambulance,” the emergency vehicle that transports patients to the hospital.
Soita ambulanssi välittömästi, mies on saanut sydänkohtauksen!

Hätänumero refers to “emergency number.” In Finland, the number to call for any emergency is 112.
Pidä puhelin lähelläsi ja soita hätänumeroon, jos jotain sattuu.

Pelastuspalvelu means “rescue service,” which encompasses services like fire and rescue, and they are often involved in emergency incidents.
Pelastuspalvelu saapui nopeasti onnettomuuspaikalle.

Palokunta is the word for “fire department,” the team of firefighters that helps extinguish fires and deals with related crises.
Kun palohälytin soi, palokunta tuli minuuteissa.

Poliisi translates as “police,” who are responsible for maintaining law and order and can help in various emergencies.
Soita poliisi, olen juuri tulossa autovarkauden uhriksi.

Vaara means “danger,” a word you might encounter in warning signs or when someone is cautioning you about a risk.
Varo, lasi on rikki ja se on suuri vaara.

Turvallisuus refers to “safety,” an essential term emphasizing the absence of danger and the presence of security measures.
Lentoyhtiö ottaa turvallisuuden erittäin vakavasti.

Poistumistie means “exit route,” which is crucial to know in an emergency when needing to escape from a building or area safely.
Tarkista poistumistie ennen esityksen alkamista.

Kielto translates to “prohibition” or “ban.” This could relate to safety rules such as “No Smoking” or “Do Not Enter” areas.
Kielto tupakoida sairaalan alueella on tiukka.

Vaaratilanne refers to “hazardous situation,” used to describe circumstances that have the potential to cause harm.
Ilmoita välittömästi, jos huomaat minkä tahansa vaaratilanteen.

Tulipalo means “fire,” a critical word when reporting or identifying a fire incident.
Näen savua, luulen että jossain on tulipalo!

Myrkytys translates to “poisoning,” which is an essential term for medical emergencies when someone has ingested or come into contact with a toxic substance.
Oireet viittaavat siihen, että kyseessä voi olla myrkytys.

Elvytys means “resuscitation,” a procedure to revive someone from unconsciousness or apparent death.
Hän tarvitsee elvytystä. Onko kellään elvytystaitoja?

Varoitus refers to a “warning,” often given to prevent someone from potential harm.
Kuulin radion kautta varoituksen lähestyvästä myrskystä.

Learning these essential Finnish terms can significantly increase your ability to handle and respond to emergencies, ensuring not only your safety but also the safety of others around you. Memorizing this vocabulary might seem like a small task, but it can have a major impact when seconds count.