Emergency Alert Cancellation Sent to Wrong Region After Janakkala Fire
An error occurred on Thursday when the Emergency Response Centre Agency incorrectly directed the cancellation of an emergency alert to Päijät-Häme instead of Kanta-Häme. The mistake followed a fire at an energy waste pile in Janakkala, which had prompted the initial alert.
The fire, which began in the morning, produced thick smoke, leading rescue authorities to issue an emergency alert for the Tervakoski area in Kanta-Häme. Yle reports that the alert was later cancelled shortly before noon after authorities determined the smoke no longer posed a danger. However, the "danger over" notification was mistakenly sent to Päijät-Häme.
Mika Taavitsainen, head of the Emergency Response Centre Agency’s control centre, confirmed to Yle that the error was due to a typing mistake during the cancellation process. He explained that while emergency alerts are issued around 50 times a year, such errors occur less than once annually.
The incorrect notification was corrected on Yle’s website about an hour later after clarification with the agency. Ilta-Sanomat notes that the initial alert affected approximately 180,000 residents in Kanta-Häme, with around 15,000 living in Janakkala.
Taavitsainen clarified that the 112 Finland app received the correct cancellation, as it processes alerts separately. He emphasized the critical role of emergency alerts in informing the public about ongoing dangers, though their effectiveness has been a topic of discussion following a drone-related alert in Uusimaa earlier this year. Yle reports that the Ministry of the Interior is accelerating reforms to improve direct mobile alerts for those in affected areas.