On Monday, at approximately 10:00 A.M., a woman in her 80s suffered a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness, collapsing on the floor of her home on Schiller Street in Kfar Saba. The woman’s worried relatives called emergency services for help.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Alex Felsen was at his office close to the area of the emergency when he was notified about the incident on his communication device. Alex ran out to his car and drove to the scene arriving some 30 seconds later. He found the woman lying on the floor, pulseless and not breathing.

Joined by the crew of a mobile intensive care unit, Felsen immediately initiated CPR on the woman, performing chest compressions while the intensive care crew attached a heart monitor, intubated, and administered medicine to the patient.

Noticing the intensive care crew was short-staffed, Felsen called dispatch and requested backup, prompting United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yosef Shalom Malachi to arrive at the scene and assist with the CPR procedures already in progress.

After 20 minutes of joint efforts, the woman’s heart began beating again and she began to breathe on her own. The woman, who was still in serious but stable condition, was transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment.

“The professionalism and cooperation between all of the first responders at the scene were impressive,” said Felsen after the incident. “This is what we train for and it is an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to make a difference in someone’s life like this.”

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