Region Dalarna is dissatisfied with the alarm chain for its ambulance helicopter, which is frequently dispatched on missions that are rejected or aborted. Region councilor Sebastian Karlberg (S) calls it poor use of resources. Despite criteria to reduce false alarms after ten years of operation, cooperation with SOS Alarm remains unsatisfactory.
Region Dalarna has voiced criticism of how SOS Alarm manages alerts for the ambulance helicopter. The helicopter is often dispatched, but missions are frequently rejected or aborted for medical reasons or due to weather.
"It becomes poor use of resources if we go out on false alarms," says region councilor Sebastian Karlberg (S). Operations report unnecessary trips on incorrect missions, though Karlberg currently cannot confirm the extent.
Despite developed criteria to improve cooperation with SOS Alarm, the region remains unsatisfied after ten years. In 2025, 324 missions involved patient contact in Dalarna, while 440 alarms were medically rejected before takeoff and 190 cases were blocked by weather, according to Svensk Luftambulans. Aborted missions decreased compared to 2024.
SOS Alarm's chief physician Fredrik Jonsson acknowledges the issue of over- and under-alarming. "It is recurring criticism that we have over- and sometimes under-alarming. But there will always be a margin of error because these are rapid events," he says. SOS Alarm lacks current statistics on alert accuracy but is working on better data.
Region Dalarna is considering its own alarm centers, like Värmland which started one in 2024.
