Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department

Exceptional operating environment challenges maintenance

The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department ensures the safety of citizens, businesses, and communities in ten municipalities. Their tasks include accident prevention, improving the preparedness of municipalities and local residents in the event of accidents, as well as emergency response and first aid services.

 The rescue department operates in a unique environment. There is a significant need for efficient and effective maintenance, as the equipment, including rescue and emergency vehicles, boats, and other equipment, is large in number, and requires constant maintenance.

In addition to daily maintenance, rescue services must also be prepared to provide services in the event of long-term disruptions and emergencies.

The functionality and compatibility of the Novi system in the public administration’s security network environment (TUVE) has been verified.

Indispensable Novi

Jyrki Lehtonen, Technical Manager of the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department, calls Novi an indispensable tool for successful maintenance.

– In particular, we invest in the ability of maintenance to support and maintain the emergency preparedness of the rescue services. All operational planning emphasizes anticipation and preparedness. These measures are designed to ensure that critical operations can continue even in the event of exceptional circumstances. 

According to Lehtonen, in everyday work, the emphasis is on how easy and effortless it is for users to record entries in the system. A modern maintenance management system is particularly important in the work. The Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department has a permanent staff of about 670, on top of which entries are also made by the contracted fire brigades in the area. Each year, more than 2,600 fault reports and work requests are recorded into Novi.

However, even the best system does nothing if it is not in active use or if not enough entries are being made, Lehtonen says. On the other hand, the system must be customizable so that, for example, work requests can be assigned to a specific maintenance group, or entries can be filtered and easily monitored. All of this makes for an efficient and smooth daily life.

 – We use the data provided by Novi for coarse and fine planning and monitoring of our operations. Fault notifications, work requests, and open jobs are reviewed and prioritized in morning and weekly meetings, allowing us to maintain a real-time snapshot of the overall fleet maintenance situation. With filterable data and a wide range of reports, we aim to make the most relevant information easily and quickly available in the system.

 Although Novi was originally introduced for fleet maintenance, its use has expanded over the years to include communications maintenance, ICT equipment, and loose equipment that can be allocated work requests in the system.

Maintenance is approached through asset lifecycle management

According to Lehtonen, one of Novi’s main advantages is the system’s support for managing the lifecycle of assets used in maintenance. Enterprise Asset Management is a process that covers all stages of planning, acquisition, use, maintenance, and disposal of an asset. The aim is to optimize the value and performance of the asset throughout its lifecycle. This approach promotes the efficient use of resources, and minimizes environmental impact.

The historical data on the condition and lifecycle costs of the fleet accumulated in the system helps in planning future investments. The long lifespan of the rescue department’s equipment, often decades, poses challenges in optimizing the timing of replacement investments.

– By managing the lifecycle of maintenance assets, we aim to outline and visualize when it’s time to invest in a replacement. An investment plan is drawn up and updated annually 5 years ahead. This requires planning, and historical information and data to support decision-making.

Safety and efficiency

According to Lehtonen, the Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department has succeeded in making the Novi system a key tool for planning and monitoring daily maintenance activities. The system has proven to be not only an effective maintenance management system, but also an aid to long-term planning.

Scalability, ease of use, and continuous development possibilities make Novi a viable solution for a wide range of needs.

– We appreciate the user-friendliness of the system, especially for mobile work. Installers use mobile devices to handle fault reports and work requests. The browser-based, visual user interface is essential to ensure efficient information sharing and a good understanding of installers’ workload. Novi has helped us to stay efficient and safe.