Aerial Wildfire Monitoring Workshop Held in Helsinki

Organised by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, the event saw participation from representatives of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden. This workshop is one of the initial events in a series spearheaded by the current Finnish Presidency of the CBSS, which has designated comprehensive security, crisis preparedness and resilience as its key priorities.

At the workshop, expert organisations from Finland showcased their nation’s strategies for aerial wildfire monitoring. In a similar vein, representatives from other CBSS countries detailed their respective national systems. Alongside these presentations, discussions centred on prospective areas for cooperation and the possibility of advancing these collaborations during Finland’s CBSS presidency term.

The CBSS was identified as a vital platform for exchanging information, sharing best practices and developing ideas in the field of aerial wildfire monitoring. Attendees reached a consensus on the potential advantages of deepening cooperation on the issue, stressing the significance of incorporating all CBSS member states in upcoming ventures.

Moving forward, emphasis will be placed on uncovering national synergies and exploring partnership avenues. There are also plans to engage Ukraine, with the Finnish Ministry of Interior set to liaise with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine (SESU). These topics are slated for a video meeting in late October. Depending on the insights from that session, another workshop might be scheduled for December 2023 or early 2024, with an invitation extended to all CBSS member nations.

Workshop attendees encompassed representatives from the Estonian Rescue Board, MSB (SE), State Forest Service of Latvia, Ministry of the Interior (FI), Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland, Erillisverkot (FI), SPEK (FI), and The Finnish Air Rescue Society.

Photos: Suomen Lentopelastusseura (Finnish Air Rescue Society)