If you live in Finland and take a look inside your property’s civil defense shelter, you’ll likely spot an approval plaque from our auxiliary brand, Metalli-Jokela. How is this connected to JTK Power? Well, JTK Power acquired the business operations of Metalli-Jokela Oy in 1998. Metalli-Jokela has been supplying cast parts, such as doors and hatches, to numerous Finnish civil defense shelters since 1958.

A Modern Ventilation Unit is the Heart of a Civil Defense Shelter

JTK Power has continued to develop civil defense products and, in 2020, launched a modern S1-class ventilation unit designed for contemporary civil defense shelters. The ventilation unit is equipped with an activated carbon filter, which removes various chemical agents. While the unit operates electrically, it also includes manual operation, allowing it to be used manually in an emergency.

The IVL-1 ventilation unit maintains positive pressure within the shelter during a crisis and filters harmful gases and particles from the incoming air. The product meets the requirements set for civil defense shelter ventilation systems.

Pekka Rajajärvi, who spent his career at the Ministry of the Interior specializing in civil defense construction, technical requirements, and consulting, now works as a consultant and trainer in the field. According to Rajajärvi, JTK Power’s expertise in designing and developing civil defense shelters is outstanding:

“JTK Power has experience in the civil defense sector dating back to the 1970s. They possess robust expertise in various manufacturing methods and a solid understanding of product quality requirements.”

According to Rajajärvi, Finland’s civil defense shelters are world-class. Civil defense is even an export product, with Finnish companies exporting approximately €20 million in civil defense expertise and products abroad each year. In recent weeks, Finnish shelters have even been featured in international news, with CNN covering one such shelter in Helsinki.

Supplying Civil Defense Solutions and Design Support to Sweden

“We confidently claim that Finland has the best expertise in civil defense construction and maintenance in the Nordic countries. This is knowledge we’re eager to share with others. Sweden is, of course, one significant market where we are pleased to offer design and implementation support for civil defense shelters,” says Anders Kannelhovi, JTK Power’s Sales and Product Manager.

Currently, Finland has civil defense shelters for 4.3 million people, with around one million in need of renovation. According to Rajajärvi, JTK Power’s modern ventilation unit is an excellent fit for these shelters.

“Now is the time to update shelters built between 1959 and 1971 that have sand filters. JTK Power’s ventilation unit is a suitable alternative to replace the sand filter. There is also strong demand in Sweden to both update old shelters and build new ones,” Rajajärvi assessed as early as 2020.