Fire safety for public and care properties

Obligations at these sites

Fire alarm equipment

The Decree of the Ministry of the Environment on the Fire Safety of Buildings (848/2017, table 12) specifies what kind of fire alarm equipment is required in, for example, accommodation premises, care facilities, day-care centres and schools: a smoke alarm, a fire alarm system or a fire alarm system connected to the Emergency Response Centre.

Evacuation safety in care

In care facilities and in service and supported housing, the operator must prepare an evacuation safety report before operations begin and update it at least every three years or when operations change (Rescue Act, section 19).

Maintenance and inspections

Equipment must be kept in working order and appropriately maintained and inspected (Rescue Act, section 12). A statutory fire alarm system undergoes a periodic inspection every three years (Act on Certain Fire Safety Equipment 191/2024).

Rescue plan

The rescue plan sets out the site’s hazards, safety arrangements and instructions for action. It must be kept up to date as the premises, operations and responsible persons change.

Care properties

In the Yrjö ja Hanna Foundation’s service housing, the fire alarm systems are set to be very sensitive so that residents have enough time to leave. The foundation centralised the maintenance of rescue service equipment at all its sites with PAP, and according to the 2021 reference story, the maintenance reports were added to the sites’ rescue plan. The cooperation began with the installation of the fire alarm system at the Killinki service housing in Sipoo.

Read about the Yrjö ja Hanna Foundation’s homes

Cultural and historic buildings

Finlandia Hall

In the renovation, PAP reviewed and supplemented the fire safety plans and took care of commissioning the systems, programming the control equipment, testing and coordinating the inspections by the authorities. Read about the work at Finlandia Hall.

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

In the stadium’s renovation, fire detection in the stands was implemented with a fibre-optic linear heat detector, of which four kilometres were installed in the stand roofs. Read the Olympic Stadium story.

Haapajärvi church

During the renovation of the wooden church in Kirkkonummi, a sampling pipe for aspirating smoke detection was installed in the attic and a linear heat detection cable on the outside of the church. Read about Haapajärvi church.

Tunnels and underground spaces

For the Keilaniemi tunnel on Ring Road I, PAP supplied the fire alarm control panels, detectors, linear detection cable and Emergency Response Centre connection. Tunnel sites also include Hämeenlinna, Leppävaara in Espoo and Itäväylä in Helsinki. Underground sites we have worked on also include the Otaniemi civil defence shelter tunnels and the underground facilities in Jätkäsaari.

Read: PAP took fire safety underground

What PAP offers

We provide design, installation and commissioning, maintenance and servicing, rescue plans, staff training and evacuation drills and civil defence shelter maintenance. Across a portfolio of several properties, it makes sense to bring maintenance and documents together with one partner.

Frequently asked questions

How is a fire alarm system adapted to a protected building?

The solution is designed around the building’s structures, its use and the conservation objectives. Tell us about the building’s protection status when you contact us, so that it can be taken into account in design and installation.

Can PAP prepare a rescue plan for a care property?

Yes. We prepare rescue plans based on the property’s operations, premises and safety arrangements and set them up on the digital Codeax®SAFE platform, where the property keeps the plan up to date itself. We can also help with updates when needed. For the Yrjö ja Hanna Foundation, we prepared a rescue plan for all of the foundation’s sites.

Does PAP organise evacuation drills for staff?

Yes. The planning of a drill takes into account the property’s operations and the objectives of the drill, and the practical arrangements are agreed in the training quotation.

Other customer groups

Tell us about your site

Tell us what the property is used for, its current systems and your needs. Our sales team will assess the situation and prepare a quotation.

Fire safety for public buildings and care properties