Calling for help

In all emergencies, irrespective of whether they involve urgent help from the police, rescue services, ambulance transportation or social services, CALL 112

Whenever possible, make the emergency call yourself

It is important that the emergency call is placed by a person who is involved in the emergency. This person is able to give the kind information that the ERC officer needs when determining what kind of help is required. Calls made through intermediaries may delay the arrival of assistance.

Inform the ERC officer of what has happened

The ERC officer will ask the caller for information about the incident so that he or she can, if necessary, send the correct kind of help.

Give the exact street address and the municipality

There may be several identical addressees in different municipalities within the operation area of the emergency response centre. Therefore, it is important to provide not only the street address but also the municipality where the incident has occurred.

Answer the questions presented to you

The ERC officer asks questions for a reason. The questions will not delay the arrival of help. In an emergency, the ERC officer will alert the authorities and partners providing help already during the call, providing them with additional information of the incident.

Act as instructed

The ERC officer has been trained to provide instructions for different situations. It is important that you follow the instructions given to you. First response measures taken in a correct manner often play a role in the outcome of the incident.

End the call only after you have been given permission to do so

Ending the call too early may delay the arrival of rescuers. After you have been given permission to end the call, close your phone. Keep the line open. The ERC officer or the rescuer coming to the site may need additional information on the incident.

Fit of illness or an accident

Find out what has happened and check it

• What has happened?
• Check the condition of the individual (is he/she coming to, breathing).

If necessary, provide first aid

• A patient who is unconscious but breathing must be placed on his/her side.
• If the individual is not breathing, start first aid as best you can.

Report the emergency

• Call 112
• Inform the ERC officer of the location from which you are calling.
• Tell the officer what has happened.
• Act as instructed.
• Inform the emergency response centre of any changes in the condition of the patient.

Inform the personnel responsible for maintaining public order.

• The personnel responsible for maintaining public order have been given first aid training
• First aid equipment and a defibrillator are available
• Provide guidance to the first response personnel
• If necessary, are able to provide assistance to the first response personnel

The first aid equipment and the defibrillator of the shopping centre are available at the information point. The loading bays also have first aid stations.

Resuscitation instruction

1. If an individual suddenly loses consciousness or appears lifeless, immediately find out whether he/she can be revived by talking to him/her or by shaking him/her.

2. If the person does not awaken or respond to shaking, scream for help and ask somebody present to report the emergency by calling 112. If you are alone, report the emergency yourself. Follow the instructions given to you by the emergency response centre.

3. Open the respiratory tract and check the person’s breathing: With two fingers of your one hand, raise the tip of the chin of the patient and bend his/her head backwards by pressing his/her forehead with your other hand. Check if the patient’s chest is moving, if you can hear the normal breathing sound and if you can feel an air flow against your cheek.

4. If the patient’s breathing is abnormal: Start cardiac resuscitation. Place the base of one hand in the middle of the breastbone and the other hand on top of it. Press the breastbone 30 times with your arms straightened out in a piston-like movement at a rate of 100 strokes per minute. Let the chest sink around 4-5 cm.

5. Continue with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Reopen the respiratory track. With two fingers of your one hand, raise the tip of the chin of the patient and bend his/her head backwards by pressing his/her forehead with your other hand. Close the patient’s nostrils with your thumb and forefinger. Press your lips firmly to the patient’s mouth and blow air into his/her lungs 2 times while keeping an eye on his/her chest movements.

6. Continue cardiac resuscitation – mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in a rhythm of 30 strokes 2 blows until professionals take over responsibility, breathing resumes or you are too tired to go on.

Fire/Accident

For the sake of fire and exit safety, everybody must go through the following points in advance: How to warn those in the building, how to exit the building (including alternative routes), how to report an emergency, what action to take in the event of an accident, where to find equipment for early fire suppression and how to use it, and whether there are physically challenged people at the site who possibly need help to exit the building.

If you suspect that there is a fire in a particular room, first check whether the handle of the door is hot or if there is smoke seeping through the crack in the door. If this is the case, there is a risk of fire flaring; consequently, do not open the door but report the emergency.

If you detect a fire, do as follows:

• Rescue those in an immediate danger and, if there are several rescuers at the scene, delegate the following tasks to them
• Warn other people in the property of the fire/danger, ordering them to leave the premises
• When leaving the building, doors and windows should be closed if possible in order to prevent the fire from spreading
• Report the emergency
• Administer immediate first aid if there are injured people at the scene
• If the fire can be contained, extinguish it using the equipment for early fire suppression
• Note! In a fire, highly dangerous toxic gases will quickly develop which will fill up the room starting from the ceiling. Covering your mouth with a cloth for example will not prevent poisoning
• In a smoke-filled space, rescue yourself by going on all four
• In a smoke-filled staircase, descend by gliding down with your feet forward
• Provide guidance. Ensure that the rescuers have an unhindered and quick access to the scene!

Fire – instructions for a situation in which safe exit is not possible

Sometimes a fire somewhere else prevents safe exit from the property. Should this be the case, the wisest course of action to take is to stay in a smokeless space and to keep all doors and other openings closed.

Stay in the fire compartment in which you are.

• It is safe to be behind a fire door. Fire doors can withstand a fire at least for half an hour.
• Jumping from a high place will lead to fatal consequences while staying in a smokeless space will not.

Go to a window and try to attract attention. If this fails, call 112 and report your location.

Follow the instructions that the authorities issue.

Automatic fire alarm

The properties in the Hansa block are equipped throughout with automatic fire detection and extinguishing equipment. Automatic fire detection equipment (fire detectors) detects conditions, either smoke or a high temperature, which deviate from the normal, and react on such conditions depending on the use of the space (smoke or temperature detectors). The fire detection system aims at warning property users of any incipient fires. An automatic extinguishing system (sprinkler) reacts on temperatures that are considerably higher than the normal (sprinkler nozzles). The goal of an extinguishing system is to automatically extinguish incipient fires.

When detecting a deviation, the systems automatically trigger a fire alarm, which will be evident in the property in the form of an automatic announcement: a fire alarm in the property, its cause is being investigated...and fire sirens begin to sound. NOTE! There is no announcement system in the Market Square property. The regional fire brigade control/fire brigade will also be automatically informed of the alarm. Since the systems are composed of technical devices, they are prone to failures and malfunction; in other words, a fire alarm may have no real cause.

• During a fire alarm, all activities should be continued as normal, until the cause of the alarm has been established
• Do not use elevators during a fire alarm
• The duties of personnel during a fire alarm are:
  • To continue their activities as normal
  • To wait for further instructions
  • To calm customers and to provide them with advice and guidance

If the fire alarm turns out to have no real cause, the person responsible for safety at the shopping centre will make an announcement stating this.

Power outages

A power outage may be due to a large-scale disturbance in the power grid or a local disturbance.

The backup lamps in the system provide sufficient illumination for safe exit and for any necessary action.

DURING A POWER OUTAGE, ALL ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE CONTINUED AS NORMALLY AS POSSIBLY, OR UNTIL FURTHER INFORMATION IS PROVIDED.

IN THE EVENT OF A POWER OUTAGE, THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND PUBLIC ORDER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WILL ESTABLISH THE EXTENT OF AREA AFFECTED BY THE OUTAGE, ITS SCOPE AND ITS CAUSE.

THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND PUBLIC ORDER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WILL PROVIDE THOSE WORKING IN THE PROPERTY WITH INFORMATION ON THE OUTAGE, ITS CAUSE AND SCOPE, AS WELL AS ON ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RESOLVING OF THE OUTAGE

In the event of a power outage, safety lighting will remain switched on.

It is not possible to use elevators during a power outage, nor is it safe.

Measures to be taken during a power outage

Power supply to office and business premises will be cut off, but in public spaces illumination will continue to operate:

• If possible, check the fuses in the group switchgear of the office and business premises.
• If this fails to resolve the problem, contact building maintenance (tel. +358 10 8360700).

Power supply is cut off both to the office and business premises and to the public premises

• Use a torch
• If necessary, provide guidance to others

In the event of a power outage, also elevators will stop operating. If you are stuck in an elevator during a power outage or on account of other failure, do as follows:

Contact the on-call fault service at the elevator maintenance company:

• On a mobile phone (KONE Hissit Oy, +358 800 15063)

If necessary, call the emergency number 112.

Evacuation

The shopping centre or any of its sections may need to be evacuated on account of a fire, accident or any similar hazard, such a bomb threat. The evacuation of the shopping centre is always decided on and led by a rescue or police authority or the head of security at the shopping centre. An order to evacuate the premises is issued via the emergency announcement system, by shouting from one workspace to another, or in the form of incident-specific instructions provided by the personnel responsible for public order at the shopping centre, should the premises not be equipped with an emergency announcement system.

• Once you have been issued an evacuation or exit order:
  • Leave the premises as soon as possible via the shortest safe route
  • Do not delay your exit by fetching your personal effects, for example
  • Do not use an elevator when leaving the premises

Finding shelter indoors

You may need to find shelter indoors in the event of an accident or a threatening situation. For example, a gas hazard in a nearby area following an accident or a threat of violence may bring about a need to find shelter indoors. Finding shelter indoors is always decided on and led by a rescue or police authority or the head of security at the shopping centre. An order to find shelter indoors is issued via the emergency announcement system, by shouting from one workspace to another, or in the form of incident-specific instructions provided by the personnel responsible for public order at the shopping centre, should the premises not be equipped with an emergency announcement system.

• With respect to their own premises, shops are responsible for any measures to take to find shelter indoors
• Once you have been issued an order to find shelter indoors:
  • Calm customers and behave yourself in a soothing manner
  • Guide customers out urging them to leave the premises via the fastest and safest route
  • Assist customers in evacuation (if, for example, a customer is physically challenged)
  • Close and lock all doors and windows
  • Do not leave the business premises until you a given permission to do so (stay behind locked doors)
  • Wait for further instructions
  • Move into the back room of the business premises where you cannot be detected from outside the shop
  • Keep a mobile phone ready to hand so that you can call for help if necessary!

Finding shelter indoors is resorted to only in extremely exceptional situations or in threat situations!

Therefore, it is very important that everybody follows common operations models and instructions!