Coast guard

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I am a coast guard at the Coast Guard Station. My main tasks include maritime search and rescue and surveillance of waterborne traffic. I also carry out border checks for passengers at the airport, as well as for vessels and crew in cargo harbours, in cooperation with Customs. At the airport, we conduct border checks on private planes that are going abroad. In addition, the prevention of environmental damage at sea and the investigation of environmental offences are part of our duties. The surveillance of hunting and fishing also employs coast guards all year round.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I am used to being at sea since I was a child with my parents and grandparents. I have also sailed a lot. When I was younger, I didn't know about the profession of a coast guard, so I thought I would become a police officer or a fire fighter. After the military service, I discovered that there is also this type of possibility, when a couple of my friends started working as border guards at the land border. Their stories aroused my interest in the profession, although I was particularly interested in working as a coast guard.

Soon after that, I noticed an announcement in the local newspaper seeking coast guards. I applied for the position and got selected. At that time, training for the profession of a coast guard took place so that first we worked in the units and only then went to the Border and Coast Guard Academy's basic course. The education system has changed completely, since those days. Nowadays, the training takes place first and then the work in the units starts.

Describe your typical working day or week.

The shift always starts with a morning meeting held by the shift manager, in which the tasks are divided and it is checked whether something has been agreed in advance, such as border checks on flights or joint patrols with other authorities. Then we ensure that the equipment and machinery are ready for departure.

After that, the course of the working day depends on the season. In the summer, a typical day continues at sea with water traffic surveillance. Tasks may be interrupted if we receive an emergency task. The better the weather, the busier the water traffic will be, and thus more tasks for us. At the end of the shift, we service and refuel the equipment and record the day's work in the reporting systems.

In winter, working days are usually calmer than in summer. A typical winter working day includes, for example, surveillance of off-road traffic on snowmobiles. Surveillance is often carried out in cooperation with the police. Especially in the early winter and in the spring, when the ice cover is weak, we rescue people who have fallen into the ice and those lost in the sea.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

Work environments vary, but work is mainly carried out outdoors. All seasons and weather conditions will become familiar. In the summer, we are mostly on the water, while in the winter we are on snowmobile routes and in ice-covered areas. Border checks are carried out throughout the year at airports and in ports.

We do irregular shift work. A total of 114 hours of work are carried out over a three-week period, i.e. on average 38 hours per week, but the hours are not evenly distributed over weekdays, as the length of shifts varies between 8 and 12 hours.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

Coast guards must be comfortable being outdoors and tolerate even challenging weather conditions. The work involves constant interaction with different people, so a social nature is a must. In this profession, you encounter death, medical emergencies, as well as violence and the threat of violence, so a certain level of courage and stress tolerance is needed. Tasks often also require problem-solving capabilities, but no superhuman qualities.

The profession of a coast guard has various requirements, such as good physical and mental fitness, vision and hearing. These are tested at regular intervals. In addition, driving different vehicles must feel natural, as coast guards drive boats, snowmobiles, cars, ATVs and hovercrafts. Technical competence facilitates the maintenance and repair of equipment.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best thing about being a coast guard is spending a lot of time outdoors and at sea all year round. Other advantages include the strong team spirit in the profession, i.e. the so-called coast guard spirit, as well as the equipment that we use in our work. During my career, I have not come across a poor work community. The equipment must be of high quality and suitable for the work, as the tasks may be a matter of life and death, and we must get to the site quickly and securely.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The downside is night shifts, as especially with age, staying up nights has started to put more strain on me. At times, the change in the customer base is also worrying. The range of intoxicants has increased over the years, and it is visible in our everyday work. With that being said, I feel that overall there are very few disadvantages in the coast guard profession.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of coast guard?

I recommend investing in language studies, as the work requires English and Swedish skills. If you have attended comprehensive school in Finnish, a Swedish test is required, and if you have attended comprehensive school in Swedish, a Finnish test is required. Mathematics is also needed. Physical fitness must be good, and it is tested already at the application stage. Investing in military time is worthwhile, as the training of non-commissioned officers and reserve officers provides good skills for this profession.

As an employer, the state offers stability that is not available in many other sectors. During my career, there has been no situation where there was a need to reduce the number of coast guards, and does not seem to be so in the future either. The state also offers high-quality occupational health care, uniforms and equipment for coast guards. Coast guards are also covered by military pension, which means that they can retire at a relatively young age.

How do you see the future of your profession?

The importance and appreciation of coast guards is likely to increase in the future, as the work we do has recently been very much visible. In 2023, the Finnish Border Guard and the Emergency Response Centre Agency ranked first as the most reputable public administration organisations. International tasks are increasing, as coast guards are already increasingly encouraged to participate in Frontex operations in the Mediterranean and at the EU's external borders.