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 backcountry like the back of their hand, have come face to face with both the harshness of nature and the frailty of man.
Still, it is not jobs, but will and commitment that drive them. They are everyday heroes – those who voluntarily go ahead when winter closes in on Greenland.
Volunteers on the front line
Lars Borris Pedersen heads the voluntary SAR group (Search and Rescue), which the Snowmobile Association Qamutit established in 2011. The group works voluntarily – yet with a professionalism and dedication that you rarely see.
– When I started, I saw a clear need for a more organized effort. The police were faced with finding people who were either injured or missing, but lacked both equipment and expertise. I therefore started to build networks and cross-collaboration, 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 voluntary 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 applies to 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 elaborates with a warm smile.
Today, Qamutit SAR assists both the police, the fire service and the Arctic Command in searches 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 training and exercises in search and rescue 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 around between the machines, nuzzles the people and reminds 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 phenomena in the wilderness. Snowmobiles pull tracks through the snow as the group plans routes and safety precautions, because every second counts when someone is buried under the snow.
– The fickle winter weather means that avalanches are something we spend extra time on this year. Unfortunately, there have been fatal accidents in recent years, so we are very concerned about safety, prevention and rescue, says Lars Borris with seriousness in his eyes.
Temperature fluctuations can quickly turn the 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 the freezing point or above, the structure changes: hard layers can act as sliding surfaces, and new snow does not bond well to the ground. The result is a fragile snow cover where avalanches can be triggered with a moment’s mishap.
– Our task is not just to save people if the accident is out. We also work to prevent and limit the risk, so that people can travel 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.
– There are several of us who have actually received a diploma from a foundation that says ‘completely’, laughs Lars Borris, before returning to seriousness.
– It was in connection with a rescue where we succeeded in rescuing a single person after a snowmobile accident by the fjord, he says.
You can thus safely call Qamutit SAR part of everyday heroes – volunteers who step forward when it really matters 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 equipping others to handle complex rescue situations.
– The more of us who can take responsibility in critical situations, the stronger society becomes, says Lars Borris with a smile.
Therefore, the unit also offers training itself, 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 brigade to parts of the defence, says the team leader proudly.
The avalanche courses take place over two days and combine theoretical teaching with practical scenarios outdoors, where the course participants must, among other things, free dolls from masses of snow. The voluntary SAR group has had several hundred participants 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 taught students from Arctic Basic Training, a collaboration that Lars Borris sees great value in. His approach to collaboration permeates the unit’s entire work:
– We like to cooperate with the 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’s about standing shoulder to shoulder when the alarm goes off. Because when the alarm sounds, the volunteers step forward with their pride clearly on their clothes – the logo on the right chest, the Greenlandic flag on the left upper arm.
They drop everything, big or small, and drive out into the frosty landscape, driven by experience, will and a deep commitment to saving lives.
