Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 73

ICELAND REVIEW 71
tions can happen at any time, we work
very closely with the Department of Civil
Protection and emergency Management,
iCe-Sar search and rescue, the church,
the national hospital and others.
ZR: What about the challenge of work-
ing in remote areas?
Ho: in such a small community, the
people who are affected by an event
are sometimes the same people who
would otherwise provide help. This hap-
pened, for example, in the earthquake
in Hveragerði [South iceland] in 2008.
other people had to come and perform
those jobs and that is why it’s so important
that there is good coordination between
different areas so that someone else can
step in. in remote areas, like in the West
Fjords, it’s often the same people who
volunteer for the red Cross, the search
and rescue and other organizations, so it’s
essential that everyone works together.
ZR: In 1924 there was just one ambu-
lance in Iceland. Today, there are a total
of 77 around the country. What about
the challenge of reaching remote areas
by ambulance?
Ho: in the old days, people from nearby
areas joined together to save up for
an ambulance as this was a real secu-
rity issue. Still today, in some places,
like Strandir in the West Fjords, patients
have to travel by boat or by plane. it can
sometimes be very difficult to get there.
if the weather is particularly bad, or
there’s a lot of snow, patients may need
to be transported by search and rescue
vehicle—this has often happened—or
a snowplow needs to go ahead of the
ambulance. There simply is no other way.
ZR: Icelanders live longer than almost
all other nationalities. What impact does
the increase in average life span have on
the demand for the services of the Red
Cross?
Ho: We are experiencing the same
development here as in other countries
in europe, that is that the red Cross is
servicing older and older people through,
for example, home visitation, which
includes cleaning as well as psychologi-
cal and medical support. We also see that
volunteers are getting older. People are
in good form and want to continue. in
the future more and more services for the
elderly will be provided through the red
Cross and other associations. The devel-
opment in other countries is that instead
of further developing social resources,
the local authorities and government
have called for an increased auxiliary
role of the red Cross to meet this social
development.
ZR: What do you believe to be among
the greatest achievements of the Red
Cross in Iceland in the organization’s
90-year history?
Ho: in my view that is having taught
icelanders first aid. our [90th] anniver-
sary year is dedicated to teaching people
first aid. The fact that the public knows
first aid saves more and more people
each year. in terms of preparedness for
natural disasters, centers that can offer
help to a large number of people … that
is also something i think we can really be
proud of. *
the icelandic red Cross has been sending humanitarian aid and clothing to conflict zones in the Middle east.