FORF - Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum

What FORF - Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum does

FORF (Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum) is a Norwegian non-profit umbrella organization founded in 1994 that coordinates nine voluntary rescue organizations collectively operating ~10,000 trained volunteers, 500+ operational units, and roughly nine rescue missions per day across land, sea, air, mountain, and cave environments. Headquartered in Oslo with a six-person administrative team, FORF's primary functions are advocacy with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and Hovedredningssentralen, cross-organization coordination, standardized training via Politihøgskolen, and the annual FORF Seminar at Gardermoen. Member organizations include Røde Kors Hjelpekorps (6,000 volunteers, 300 of 357 municipalities), Redningsselskapet (59 vessels, 800 volunteers, 134-year history), Norske Redningshunder (2,300 members, 591 canine teams), Norsk Folkehjelp Sanitet (2,000 volunteers), NLF Flytjenesten (~250 pilots, 20 clubs), Norske Alpine Redningsgrupper (250 climbers in 10 groups), NRRL (radio/communications), Norsk Grotteforbund (~200 members), and Speidernes Beredskapsgruppe.

FORF's technology stack is built around shared situational-awareness tooling: Felles aksjonsstøtteverktøy (FAKS) — a national digital action support tool developed with Barents Watch under Hovedredningssentralen's leadership, rolled out nationally from 2024 with training for 600+ personnel; SARTopo mapping (CalTopo licenses managed by FORF); Polaric Server (NRRL's offline-capable mapping and tracking system); the NLF Recon sensor payload for small aircraft; the FORF command vehicle functioning as ILKO (Innsatsleder Kommandoplass); and SARCap, a modular mobile command post built on STORM Adapt's RADS platform with prototype delivery in autumn 2025. These systems are not commercial products but member-shared infrastructure for SAR coordination.

Revenue flows through three channels: government base grants (driftstilskudd) with a recommended increase of 100 MNOK over 8 years per the 2025 Totalberedskapsmeldingen (only 3.1 MNOK increase proposed for 2026); Gjensidigestiftelsen donations via the multi-phase Bedre Lokal Beredskap (BLB) project — 33.06 MNOK (2023), 33 MNOK (2024 extension through 2026), with cumulative channelled funding of ~120+ MNOK since 2019; and tripartite partnerships such as the 2023 deal that funded 2,000 nødnett terminals (10 MNOK from Gjensidigestiftelsen with government covering operating costs). FORF operates on a community-led GTM motion centered on policy advocacy, member coordination, and the annual seminar rather than commercial sales.

Name

FORF - Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum

Legal name

FORF - Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum

Website

https://forf.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FORF is a Norwegian non-profit umbrella organization coordinating nine voluntary rescue organizations, encompassing roughly 10,000 trained volunteers delivering about nine search-and-rescue operations daily across all of Norway's terrains. It serves the Norwegian public emergency services (police, Hovedredningssentralen, AMK) via advocacy, shared technology (FAKS, SARTopo, Polaric Server), and coordinated funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Rescue Coordination Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Humanitarian Coordination & Disaster Risk Reduction IGOs (BPADAAAE)

Keywords

• Voluntary rescue services
• Search and rescue coordination
• Emergency preparedness
• Rescue umbrella organization
• Disaster response coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government grants and subsidies: Annual government base funding (driftstilskudd) to the voluntary rescue organizations. A proposed increase of 100 MNOK over 8 years was recommended in Totalberedskapsmeldingen 2025. Current per-crew allocation is under 500 NOK per year.
2. Gjensidigestiftelsen project funding (Bedre Lokal Beredskap): Major multi-year grant from Gjensidigestiftelsen through the 'Bedre Lokal Beredskap' project. Approximately 120+ MNOK channelled through FORF to member organizations for equipment, training, exercises, and shared systems. Three phases: BLB I (to 2024), BLB II (extension through 2024), BLB continuation (2025-2026).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FORF is a non-profit umbrella organization that coordinates nine voluntary rescue organizations operating in the Norwegian rescue service. It advocates on behalf of member organizations, promotes professional rescue competence, facilitates cross-organization cooperation, and develops shared digital coordination tools such as the Felles aksjonsstøtteverktøy (FAKS) jointly built with Barents Watch. The collective represents approximately 10,000 trained volunteers delivering land, sea, air, mountain, cave, avalanche, communication and first-aid rescue capabilities nationwide.

Product overview

FORF (Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum) is a national umbrella organization coordinating nine voluntary rescue organizations in the Norwegian rescue service. The organization provides coordination, advocacy, and development of the voluntary rescue sector rather than a single unified product. FORF's portfolio includes technology products for rescue operations (Felles aksjonsstøtteverktøy, SARTopo, Polaric Server), specialized equipment (command vehicle, hypothermia equipment, NLF Recon sensor system), and services (training through Nasjonal Redningsskole, FORF Seminar conferences, rescue guides). Member organizations provide operational rescue services including Røde Kors Hjelpekorps (search and rescue, first aid), Norske Redningshunder (search dogs), Norsk Folkehjelp Sanitet (first aid, search), Redningsselskapet (sea rescue), NRRL Sambandstjenesten (communication), Norsk Grotteforbund (cave rescue), Speidernes Beredskapsgruppe (scout rescue), Norske Alpine Redningsgrupper (mountain rescue), and NLF Flytjeneste (aviation support).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Felles aksjonsstøtteverktøy (FAKS) A joint digital action support tool for Norwegian search and rescue operations, providing real-time situational awareness, search zone planning, and coordination across police, Hovedredningssentralen, and voluntary rescue organizations.
• FORF Seminar (Annual Conference) Annual conference for the Norwegian voluntary rescue community offering case studies, training, and networking for volunteers, member organizations, and government partners.
• Nasjonal Redningsskole (National Rescue School) National education and training programs for rescue personnel covering avalanche rescue, first aid, and coordination courses.
• Rescue Guides (Redningsfaglige veiledere) National rescue guidelines, including the revised avalanche rescue guide, providing standardized procedures for all Norwegian rescue actors.
• NLF Flytjeneste - Emergency Aviation Services Volunteer aviation services including search, observation, reconnaissance, forest fire watch, and transport missions operated from 20 local flying clubs with approximately 250 pilots.
• Røde Kors Hjelpekorps (RKH) Rescue Services Largest voluntary rescue organization in Norway with approximately 6,000 active volunteers, conducting SAR operations (1,580 in 2024) and ambulance driving, first aid, and patient transport support to AMK.
• Norske Redningshunder (NRH) Search Dog Services Voluntary rescue dog organization with 443 ground search dog teams, 111 avalanche teams, and 37 USAR/disaster teams, conducting over 500 rescue operations annually.
• Norsk Folkehjelp Sanitet (NFS) Search and Rescue Services First aid and search-and-rescue services with 2,000 volunteers across approximately 100 local chapters, participating in over 500 SAR operations in 2024 and supporting emergency ambulances at public events.
• Redningsselskapet (RS) Sea Rescue Services Voluntary sea rescue operations with 59 rescue vessels along the Norwegian coast, operated by approximately 800 volunteers across 25 sea rescue corps; over 134 years of operation.
• NRRL Sambandstjenesten Communication Services Amateur radio communication services providing crisis communication during infrastructure failures, extreme weather, and disasters, with email-over-radio capability.
• Norsk Grotteforbund (NGF) Cave Rescue Services Cave rescue services delivered by approximately 200 members, responsible for the Norwegian Cave Rescue Service and equipment depot at 330 Squadron in Bodø.
• Speidernes Beredskapsgruppe (SBG) Scout Emergency Groups Emergency groups of scouts over 16 years active in search and rescue across Agder, Sør-Vest, Trøndelag, and Sør-Øst police districts.
• Norske Alpine Redningsgrupper (NARG) Alpine Rescue Mountain rescue in steep terrain and glaciers delivered by 10 groups and over 250 climbers nationwide, including members with medical and professional backgrounds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 9 rescue operations per day on average, year-round, delivered by voluntary organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Politihøgskolen (Police University College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORF facilitates voluntary rescue personnel's participation in Politihøgskolens joint education programs in crisis management and cooperation for emergency services. Programs include 'Felles utdanning i samvirkeledelse' (Cooperative Leadership), 'Felles utdanning i krisekommunikasjon' (Crisis Communication), and 'Felles utdanning i undervisning, trening og øvelse innen samvirke' (Training & Exercises). FORF, with Gjensidigestiftelsen funding, provides financial support of up to 15,000 NOK per student (10,000 for tuition, 5,000 for travel/lodging).
• Barents WatchcoreTechnology or IntegrationBarents Watch (a division of Kystverket) was assigned by Hovedredningssentralen to develop the 'Felles aksjonsstøtteverktøy' (Common Action Support Tool), a shared digital platform for search and rescue operations. An operational expert group including representatives from police, Politihøgskolen, Røde Kors, Norsk Folkehjelp, Norske Redningshunder, NRRL, and SBG provides continuous professional input. The system enables real-time tracking and coordination of rescue personnel across all organizations.
• STORM AdaptsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for the development of SARCap (Search & Rescue Module), a modular pickup truck conversion system developed on STORM's RADS platform. SARCap functions as a mobile command post, logistics hub, drone support, equipment carrier, and field workstation. Led by Norsk Folkehjelp Sanitet on behalf of FORF, with funding from Gjensidigestiftelsen's Bedre Lokal Beredskap project. Prototype delivered autumn 2025, tested in exercises and real operations.
• Justis- og beredskapsdepartementet (Ministry of Justice and Public Security)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry responsible for the Norwegian rescue service framework. Three-party cooperation (Gjensidigestiftelsen + FORF + Ministry) resulted in 2,000 new nødnett terminals for voluntary organizations. The Ministry approved coverage of operating costs for the terminals. FORF participates in NRR (Nasjonalt Redningsfaglig Råd) under the Ministry's framework. The Ministry endorsed the Totalberedskapsmeldingen recommendation to increase annual base funding by 100 MNOK over 8 years.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forf.no
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FORF - Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum