Anything can happen at the airport: a passenger could pass out in the terminal, another may feel ill, and still another could cut their hand and bleed badly.
In all such cases, help is only a phone call away.
'The general guideline is to call the emergency number 112, where experts assess the need for help', advises Helsinki Airport's Chief Fire Officer Marko Haapanen.
'The Emergency Response Centre alerts the airport's own rescue service to go check the situation on site. When necessary, an ambulance and the doctor of the FinnHEMS helicopter emergency medical service unit on call at the airport also arrive to assist the patient.
Easy-to-use AED equipment for resuscitation
A heart attack that causes ventricular fibrillation is the most dramatic emergency situation requiring the most immediate help. Speed is paramount, and anyone noticing the situation first should act right away.
'We have several AED equipment sets in our passenger terminals. They are meant to be used by lay persons and give audio instructions on how to resuscitate the patient correctly by applying electrical therapy to their heart. The sooner this intervention is started, the better the patient's chance of recovery', Haapanen explains.
Defibrillators are located at Gates 25 and 33. One can be found before security checkpoints on the arrivals floor, in the corridor between Terminals 1 and 2. The fastest way to find your nearest AED equipment is to ask an airport employee.
Well-trained personnel
Ensuring the safety of air traffic is the most important task of Helsinki Airport's emergency services. However, the majority of their work consists of various first aid interventions, some 600 to 700 cases every year.
'First aid interventions vary from tending to a wound to resuscitation. Each emergency service team member has firefighter/paramedic training, and some even have a healthcare degree or diploma', says Haapanen.
'Other than that, most Finavia customer service personnel working at the airport have attended Red Cross first aid courses.'
For any smaller or more common health issues, passengers can turn to Mehiläinen Airport Clinic (outside Terminal 2), pharmacy (Terminal 2, arrivals), and pharmacy service point (Gate 27).