Finland creates internet crisis portal
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Timo H?rk?nen
In order to make it easier for people to receive information in case of a crisis, the government has decided to create one single internet portal to disseminate advice and data, reports the Kuopio-based daily Savon Sanomat.
?THE FINNISH government will create a citizens? crisis portal on the internet. It will be a central website providing useful information in case of an emergency.
?The offers in the competitive bidding have been received and we will go through them in the near future,? says Timo H?rk?nen, the Director of Government Security. ?In the event of a crisis, a clear snapshot of the situation should be available to the people. It is the authorities? job to acquire and disseminate information. Communication is a basic component of crisis management.?
The new crisis portal is intended to be a website with an easy to remember address, which in normal times will contain links to services of different security officials, for example.
If a pandemic breaks out in Finland or if bird flu is spreading among animals, information and advice about the matter will be immediately gathered on the crisis website.
The site could also be used during a large-scale water distribution crisis or in a situation similar to the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami, where large numbers of people are affected.
?The National Institute for Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Finnish government have their own web pages. However, with a crisis portal a person need only go to one website to find information.?
SAVON SANOMAT 15 February. ASTA TENHUNEN
LEHTIKUVA - jussi nukari
Timo H?rk?nen
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Timo H?rk?nen
In order to make it easier for people to receive information in case of a crisis, the government has decided to create one single internet portal to disseminate advice and data, reports the Kuopio-based daily Savon Sanomat.
?THE FINNISH government will create a citizens? crisis portal on the internet. It will be a central website providing useful information in case of an emergency.
?The offers in the competitive bidding have been received and we will go through them in the near future,? says Timo H?rk?nen, the Director of Government Security. ?In the event of a crisis, a clear snapshot of the situation should be available to the people. It is the authorities? job to acquire and disseminate information. Communication is a basic component of crisis management.?
The new crisis portal is intended to be a website with an easy to remember address, which in normal times will contain links to services of different security officials, for example.
If a pandemic breaks out in Finland or if bird flu is spreading among animals, information and advice about the matter will be immediately gathered on the crisis website.
The site could also be used during a large-scale water distribution crisis or in a situation similar to the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami, where large numbers of people are affected.
?The National Institute for Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Finnish government have their own web pages. However, with a crisis portal a person need only go to one website to find information.?
SAVON SANOMAT 15 February. ASTA TENHUNEN
LEHTIKUVA - jussi nukari
Timo H?rk?nen
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