Joint development of crisis preparedness Lapland is a scarcely populated province where the distances are long and authori-ties few in number. There is a long tradition of co-operation between the authorities in Lapland. At the border crossing points, the border guards operate on the same premises as the cus-toms authorities, with daily co-operation. - We have supported the police and the emergency rescue service in the scarcely populated border region in searching for missing people, assisting injured people, and in duties related to public order and safety. The Border Guard's helicopters are an important resource of the authorities in Lapland. The Border Guard receives a few dozen assignments annually. With the decrease in the number of personnel, the possibility for participating in duties that are the purview of other authorities has correspondingly decreased. - We are focusing on the joint devel-opment of crisis preparedness more than before. The LBGD's goal on the eastern bor-der is the control of a border situation that is more challenging than today. We are also developing the ability to monitor and safe-guard the territorial integrity of Finland and to respond to a rapidly developing military threat. In practice, this means maintaining the planned preparedness, improving the materiel preparedness and developing the competence of the personnel. We also must know how to operate jointly with the different security authori-ties. This is a never-ending process. The LBGD's main partners in crisis pre-paredness duties are the Jaeger Brigade, Lapland Air Command and the Police. We work in close co-operation with them. Light at the end of the tunnel It has been over ten years since border guards were last hired into the LBGD from the basic course. As border guards have retired in Lapland, the posts have been moved to the southeast border and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for controlling the increasing border traffic. The State's objectives of decreasing public administration spending have also forced cutbacks in personnel. Four border guard stations in Lapland were closed down due to the FBG's previous downsizing pro-gramme of 2013. However, no personnel have been laid off temporarily or dismissed. - It would seem that the FBG's new downsizing requirement notwithstand-ing, Lapland could maintain the current resources at least until the 2020s. The aim now is to downsize elsewhere than on the eastern border. The operating environ-ment has changed. According to decisions already made, a total of ten border guards will be transferred to Lapland from the southeast border, Tolppanen states. - This has been made possible by the decreased border traffic at the major bor-der crossing points. At the start of the next year, we will get three border guards from the basic course. In its internal security report, the govern-ment has also stated that with separately arranged additional funding, 60 more bor-der guards will be hired by the FBG. - It would appear in Lapland that in the immediate future, we will be able to replace at least the retirees with new border guards, which is extremely important. The freefall has ended, Colonel Tolppanen says. Lapland Border Guard District By area, the Lapland Border Guard District is by far the largest admin-istrative unit in the Finnish Border Guard. The operational area of the LBGD covers the entirety of the Province of Lapland, with the exception of Tornio. The LBGD controls 1,608 kilometres of national border, of which the share of the border with Russia is 380 km, Norway 736 km and Sweden 488 km. The LBGD is responsible for the border security of the area it controls, such as border control, border checks and crime prevention. The LBGD also monitors hunting and fishing, and participates in military defence by training conscripts at the Border Jaeger Company in Ivalo. The LBGD's organisation is comprised of headquarters in Rovaniemi, four border guard stations, and the Border Jaeger Company. There are four border guard stations in the operating area: Kelloselkä, Raja-Jooseppi, Ivalo and Muonio. Kelloselkä and Raja-Jooseppi are located on the eastern border. The LBGD operates at four airports in Lapland – Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Enontekiö – when air traffic arrives from outside the Schen-gen area. The LBGD co-operates with other authorities in search & res-cue and patient transport missions in scarcely populated areas. The four helicopters stationed in Rovaniemi are an important resource. They support the operations of the other authorities and carry out maritime search & rescue missions in the Bay of Bothnia area. The LBGD employs about 214 people. 60 RAJAMME VARTIJAT
Rajamme Vartijat 3-2016
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