So far and so cold
How the 'snow-how' of Norwegian Red Cross volunteers helps Arctic Communities prepare for emergencies as climate change makes weather more extreme and unpredictable.
Survival skills are critical on long, lonely freezing roads
Long travel distances, harsh weather conditions all year round and limited resources – this is the reality for the Norwegian Red Cross volunteers in the Arctic region.
They are used to working in remote locations, navigating challenging terrain, and making the most of the resources they have.
“I often drive long distances. It's often very cold. I always make sure I have a shovel, food, and a sleeping bag in the car, something I've done for many years," says Gabriella Jurisic Ottesen from the Norwegian Red Cross.
"It's not certain that there will be other cars that can help if your car stops, and so with the equipment I know that I can take care of myself.
In minus 30 degrees, toilet breaks along the road are quick. It's common knowledge to leave the car running.”
Volunteers for the Norwegian Red Cross use headlamps to check their maps in a snowstorm. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr | Norwegian Red Cross
Volunteers for the Norwegian Red Cross use headlamps to check their maps in a snowstorm. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr | Norwegian Red Cross
Risks for the Arctic communities are mounting as the climate changes
Basic survival and rescue skills are more critical than ever as the Arctic climate changes. Warming is happening three to four times faster in the Arctic than the global average, which leads to more frequent extreme weather events.
Permafrost thaw, sea ice loss, coastal erosion, torrential rain, avalanches and wildfires take a heavy toll on local communities and ecosystems.
Lives disrupted
Traditional livelihoods are being upended. Remote communities face isolation and struggle to access healthcare and emergency support. Preparedness and response services are overstretched.
Climate change also impacts the mental health of people in the Arctic, disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations, whose connection to the land is deeply interlinked with wellbeing. Individual and community resilience is being worn down by climate-induced stress, grief and worry for the future.
In the years ahead, climate change will define what life in the Arctic will look like, challenging communities’ routines and demanding rapid adaptation.
These realities underscore why the IFRC holds observer status at the Arctic Council, engaging in projects on emergency prevention, preparedness and response across the Arctic region.
Drawing on the knowledge and expertise of Red Cross member National Societies operating in the Arctic, IFRC collaborates with Arctic Council member states and permanent participants to build community resilience amid changing climate across the region. Click here to read a full report on strengthening preparedness in the Arctic.
That report builds on the lived experiences and knowledges of volunteers and first responders in remote northers parts of Norway and it serves as the basis for first-hand accounts and perspectives presented in this article.
The Strengthening Health Preparedness in the Arctic project was conducted under the Arctic Council's Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group and was completed in the autumn of 2025.
Photo of Svalbard archipelago in Norway, seen from above, taken by Roar Dalmo Moltubak/Norwegian Red Cross.
The value of 'snow-how'
In this context, being ready is critical. Organizations that help communities prepare for extreme weather operate across the Arctic, with local responders being the first on the scene.
People usually need rescue or assistance when the weather is at its worst, and that’s exactly what the search and rescue teams are train for.
“It's often when the weather isn't at its best that we're called to action," says Sandra Asmyhr, one of the Norwegian Red Cross volunteers in Sør-Varanger doing search and rescue missions.
"Then it's a matter of finding shelter to check maps, plan further searches and have a little break.”
The climate and weather conditions make such operations physically challenging. Carrying a stretcher or a patient in deep snow in the dark becomes heavy very quickly.
But understanding the environment and having local know-how — or ‘snow-how’, as they say — the volunteers are ready to step in and provide support to their communities in all types of weather.
“We’re not sitting around waiting for ‘someone’ to take responsibility. We handle it ourselves. We’re used to managing on our own; we know who to call, who has a trailer or a snowmobile – everyone just knows”.
— Norwegian Red Cross volunteer
Preparing in 'peacetime,' when it's calm
Given the vast distances and scarcity of resources in the Arctic, making first aid available for communities is vital for saving lives.
The Red Cross volunteers are extensively trained to provide first aid. They are well prepared for cases when professional emergency responders are not available, or where distances or harsh weather conditions mean assistance is too far away.
The Norwegian Red Cross has also developed a self-preparedness workshop, which in addition to physical and practical preparedness planning, includes psychological preparedness for emergencies.
If enough people are prepared to be self-sufficient for up to several days in crisis situations, the authorities and response organizations can prioritize their resources to the most vulnerable groups.
Collaboration between local responders is also a critical part of building community preparedness and resilience.
“It’s important to get to know each other across organizations during ‘peacetime’, when things are calm," said one Red Cross volunteer. "Then it becomes much easier to collaborate when the storm hits.”
Working together, sharing skills, building trust
Joint exercises between multiple organizations allow volunteers and other first responders to build trust and develop confidence in working together.
“Crews from the Red Cross and Norwegian Rescue Dogs train for searches after an avalanche," says Judith Fjeldberg from the Norwegian Red Cross.
"When we go out on a search, it's important that we all have the same knowledge.
"We need to be familiar with each other's search strategies so that we can achieve the best possible results. For me, it's reassuring to know that I know the people I'll be searching with, and that we're training together."
Local Red Cross branches are also frequently engaged in exercises with their local municipalities and emergency responders to train their role in supporting Information and Support Centers.
These support centres are temporarily established following a crisis or evacuation, for example after a maritime accident or during extreme weather events. Volunteers help register evacuees, distribute food and blankets, treat minor injuries, assist in transportation to hospital, and provide psychosocial support to people affected.
“I’m part of something that can make a difference. I’m part of a community, and I can contribute. Otherwise, I’d just get depressed,” explained one of the Norwegian Red Cross volunteers their motivation to support their communities.
Every volunteer counts
Despite the efforts to build local preparedness and response capacities, the region's sparse population and vast distances pose many challenges.
“Up here in the North, we miss having a few more people to rely on,” shared one Red Cross volunteer.
Another adds: “It makes us very vulnerable, especially when it comes to winter preparedness. If it’s just two of us going out, there’s a real risk that we might not be able to respond because safety is compromised.”
Furthermore, volunteers who contribute to emergency response often face chaotic situations, lack of information, long hours, and potential high risk.
In addition, not all missions end well. Such experiences place significant emotional strain on volunteer responders.
Many of them have faced adversity and struggled with feelings of stress, uncertainty, guilt or inadequacy in the aftermath of a mission.
For this reason, the Norwegian Red Cross has developed a structured program for emotional debrief to support volunteers and staff that have experienced challenging incidents.
A team leader for the Search and Rescue Corps at the Norwegian Red Cross in Alta shared her experience:
"After the search, I felt that I wasn’t competent enough to carry out such a task and blamed myself. I had lost my motivation and was on my way out of the organization. However, one of the operation leaders recognized that I needed psychosocial support.
Thanks to the emotional debrief, I received help in seeing the bigger picture – that there were many elements and causes that contributed to the fact that we didn’t make a discovery that day. Because of that conversation, I decided to focus on improving my skills and regained my drive for the work.”
This example shows why ensuring adequate psychosocial support for volunteers before, during and after emergency response is critical for the mental wellbeing and resilience of first responders. It illustrates why such training should be an integral part of any preparedness plan and training exercise.
'We create something – relationships'
Local volunteers in Norway's remote arctic regions hold a broad and nuanced understanding of what constitutes emergency preparedness for their communities.
Their approach is rooted in local knowledge, trust among community members, and the ability to identify and support those most in need.
Beyond contributing to emergency response efforts, their work as volunteers also strengthens the social fabric that resilience depends on.
"An important part of preparedness is taking care of the mental health of vulnerable groups," explained volunteer Sandra Asmyhr.
"Together, we create good memories and prevent exclusion, where the impact lasts beyond the summer holidays and when everyone is back at work and school.”
By being on standby as first aid responders at a concert or organizing psychosocial activities for children, volunteers get known by the community but also learn ‘the nooks and crannies of the municipality’, as one described it.
'I am part of something that can make a difference', says one Red Cross volunteer.
This mutual familiarity is an essential element in preparing for and responding to emergencies.
Even in difficult moments, amid a crisis or when a search and rescue mission ends with a fatality, the Red Cross volunteers find strength and meaning in doing things together:
“We create something – relationships. Being able to talk about those things afterward, when we feel safe with each other – that’s so important.”
The Red Cross and other voluntary emergency response organizations and services in Sør-Varanger at an event to celebrate their extended team. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr/Norwegian Red Cross
The Red Cross and other voluntary emergency response organizations and services in Sør-Varanger at an event to celebrate their extended team. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr/Norwegian Red Cross
Red Cross volunteers organized a summer activity for residents at the asylum reception centre. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr/Norwegian Red Cross
Red Cross volunteers organized a summer activity for residents at the asylum reception centre. Photo: Sandra Asmyhr/Norwegian Red Cross
Red Cross volunteers on standby at a concert ready to provide first aid. Photo: Judith Fjeldberg/Norwegian Red Cross
Red Cross volunteers on standby at a concert ready to provide first aid. Photo: Judith Fjeldberg/Norwegian Red Cross
Five winter survival tips from the Norwegian Red Cross Mountain Code.
1. Plan your trip and inform others about the route you have selected.
2. Adapt the planned routes according to ability and conditions
3. Pay attention to the weather and the avalanche warnings
4. Bring the necessary equipment so you can help yourself and others.
5. Don’t be ashamed to turn around
Read many more tips here. The Mountain Codes is created by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) and Norwegian Red Cross. Learn them before ski touring in the Norwegian mountains.
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