When everyday heroes step up

The alarm sounds. In the silent, frosty landscape, the volunteers step forward in their neon yellow suits. Snowmobiles roar to life, and the tracks in the snow testify that someone is already on their way to the unknown.

They know the hinterland like the back of their hand, have come face to face with both the harshness of nature and the fragility of man.

Yet it is not a job, but determination and commitment that drive them. They are everyday heroes – those who voluntarily lead the way when winter closes in on Greenland.

Volunteers on the front line

Lars Borris Pedersen heads the volunteer SAR (Search and Rescue) group that the Qamutit Snowmobile Association established in 2011. The group works voluntarily – yet with a professionalism and dedication that is rarely seen.

- When I started, I saw a clear need for a more organized effort. The police were faced with finding people who had either been injured or had disappeared, but lacked both equipment and expertise. I therefore started to build networks and collaborate across departments, and that became the foundation for how we organize our work to this day, says team leader Lars Borris.

The driving force behind the SAR unit and all the volunteer work stems from personality and a genuine desire to help, he emphasizes.

- It lies deep within us – it is part of my personality, and the same goes for the rest of the group. We help because we want to make a difference, because we want to give back to society, and because rescue simply fascinates us, Lars Borris explains with a warm smile.

Today, Qamutit SAR assists the police, the fire department and the Arctic Command in search and rescue operations on land during Greenland's harsh winter months. The tasks range from emergency rescues to planned searches, where experience, equipment and local knowledge are essential.

To be ready, all members participate in various search and rescue training and exercises every year, and they continuously train in search, recovery and rescue - together with the authorities in SAR-related exercises.

The group consists of 15 volunteers - plus the dog Bambi, who actually belongs to colleague Aputsiaq Davidsen, but who is nevertheless a regular part of everyday life in the snowmobile hall. The dog walks between the machines, nuzzling the people and reminding of the warm-hearted and good spirit that permeates the unit.

Avalanche Alert

This year, Qamutit SAR has a special focus on avalanches – one of winter’s most unpredictable and dangerous wilderness phenomena. Snowmobiles are carving tracks through the snow while the group plans routes and safety measures, because every second counts when someone is buried under the snow.

- The unstable winter weather means that avalanches are something we spend extra time on this year. Unfortunately, there have been fatalities in recent years, so we are very concerned with safety, prevention and rescue, says Lars Borris with seriousness in his eyes.

Temperature fluctuations can quickly turn snow into a risky trap. When the cold is stable between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees, the snow binds to a stable layer. But when the temperature fluctuates around freezing point or above, the structure changes: hard layers can function as sliding surfaces, and new snow binds poorly to the surface. The result is a fragile snow cover, where avalanches can be triggered with a moment of accident.

- Our task is not just to save people if an accident occurs. We also work to prevent and limit the risk so that people can move safely in the winter landscape. We do this through avalanche courses and information evenings, says Lars Borris.

If superheroes existed, they could very well be hiding here in the snowmobile hall. Reality is not far from fantasy.

- Several of us have actually received a diploma from a foundation that says ‘hero’, laughs Lars Borris, before returning to seriousness.

- It was in connection with a rescue where we managed to save a single person after a snowmobile accident by the fjord, he says.

You can therefore safely call Qamutit SAR part of the everyday heroes – volunteers who step forward when it really counts and who put both knowledge, experience and warmth of heart into play to save lives.

When experience is shared

A central part of Qamutit SAR’s work – and something Lars Borris is passionate about – is training others to handle complex rescue situations.

- The more of us who can take responsibility in critical situations, the stronger society will be, says Lars Borris with a smile.

That is why the unit also offers training courses, including avalanche courses. Three of the group’s 15 members have been to Iceland, where they underwent extensive instructor training.

- We have held avalanche courses for everything from the police and fire departments to parts of the military, the team leader proudly says.

The avalanche courses take place over two days and combine theoretical training with practical scenarios outdoors, where the participants, among other things, have to free dolls from snowdrifts. The volunteer SAR group has had several hundred students through the courses in recent years, and the earnings go directly back into the association – for avalanche bags, equipment and training.

Most recently, the SAR instructors have taught students from Arctic Basic Education, a collaboration that Lars Borris sees great value in. His approach to collaboration pervades the entire work of the unit:

- We like to collaborate with Arctic Command rather than distance ourselves. Some may think that we should keep our distance, but in our eyes, they should be welcome, he says with warmth in his voice.

For Lars Borris and Qamutit SAR, collaboration is not just about planning and courses – it is about standing shoulder to shoulder when the alarm goes off. Because when the alarm goes off, the volunteers step forward with pride clearly visible on their clothes – the logo on the right chest, the Greenlandic flag on the left upper arm.

They drop everything, big and small, and head out into the frosty landscape, driven by experience, will and a deep commitment to saving lives.