Archives: Stories
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Helping Others Cope With Tragedy – The Story of Tobi Friedman
Israel Independence Day, just after noon – “Today I got a call that put what is important to me into perspective. As I was just beginning my family barbecue in honor of Israel’s Independence Day, I received an emergency call to respond to a death that had taken place in Kiryat Gat, a city 40 Read more
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Saying Thank You
On Thursday, a man walked into United Hatzalah’s headquarters in Jerusalem. He asked the first person he saw, “When someone calls in an emergency who answers the phone? Where is your dispatch center?” Moshe Levy, a volunteer EMT with the organization, as well as the head of logistics department answered the man and explained to Read more
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Remembering Our EMS Brother Effi Gadassi
Last Friday morning at 3:30 a.m., while most of the country was sleeping, my phone started beeping incessantly. I, together with 3,500 other volunteers from United Hatzalah across Israel, Jewish and Arab alike, was horrified to see texts pouring in reporting that one of our EMS brothers, Efraim Gadassi had been injured in a motor Read more
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United Hatzalah Finishes Preparations for 2017 Meron Operation Ahead of Lag Ba’Omer Holiday
Hundreds of EMTs, dozens of paramedics and doctors, as well as numerous emergency transport vehicles are ready and waiting to be spread across the town of Meron and accompanying hillside ahead of this weekend’s festivities celebrating the 33rd day of the Omer on the Jewish calendar. The yearly holiday is the single largest gathering in Read more
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Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit Responds to Yom Ha’atzmaut Fatality
The Kiryat Gat Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel have gotten used to seeing United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit in action over the past few months, so said Team Leader Yaakov Weinberg in a thank you note to the Unit on Wednesday. This past week, during the Yom HaZikaron commemoration and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration, Read more
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The Next Wave of Life-Saving in Israel Explained
Among the honored guest speakers at the Jerusalem Post Conference, which took place on Sunday in New York City, was United Hatzalah Founder and President Eli Beer. Beer was invited to discuss the technological advancements and social impact of the United Hatzalah model of life-saving in Israel and how it has revolutionized the field of Read more
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United Hatzalah EMTs Calm And Treat Blind Arab Girl Following Jerusalem Car Accident
On Monday, two United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs, Dovy Meyer and Yisrael Shachar, responded to a car accident near Mamilla. “One of the many calls I responded to on Monday morning was a car accident that occurred in the tunnel underneath Tzahal square. Most of the people thankfully got out of the tunnel unharmed but one Read more
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The Star of Life and the Orange Star of David: A Shining Symbol of What it Means to be First Responders in Israel
In an effort to raise awareness and create a stronger visual presence in the community, United Hatzalah has rebranded its vehicles and uniforms utilizing a new logo and embracing the color orange which has been widely understood as representing the organization’s 3,200 EMS volunteers around the country. While explaining the choice of why the organization Read more
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American Heart Association Taps United Hatzalah To Be Official Training Partner in Israel
The American Heart Association (AHA) boasts some 700 international training centers throughout the world. According to Glenn Vanden Houten, the AHA’s Regional Director for Europe and Africa, “United Hatzalah became one of our authorized training centers. We are proud that you have become part of that family.” The new authorization provided by the AHA Read more
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Ahead of Israel’s Independence Day, United Hatzalah Steps Up Collaboration With IDF’s Search and Rescue Unit
On Monday afternoon, ten Search and Rescue Units took part in a joint exercise with the IDF’s Search and Rescue Unit 669 and United Hatzalah. According to Shmuel Avraham, the Director of Emergency and Security Operations at United Hatzalah, approximately ten percent of the volunteers present at the exercise were members of United Hatzalah’s emergency Read more