Last week volunteer Shmuel Murdo was called to a structure fire on Herzl Street in Tel Aviv. He jumped on your ambucycle (279) arriving within 3 minutes. Bright flames were blazing out of the building window and billowing clouds of black smoke could be seen from quite a distance.

Shmuel and three other United Hatzalah volunteers began to treat two injured victims that managed to escape from the building. One woman was suffering from 2nd and 3rd degree burns and both were suffering from acute smoke inhalation. A United Hatzalah paramedic arriving to the scene decided to immediately sedate, intubate and ventilate the woman moments before she went into shock and quite probably died.

United Hatzalah volunteers provided oxygen to the other victim too, a young man who was suffering from smoke inhalation because he helped rescue the woman from the burning building. This rapid intervention helped prevent both patients’ further deterioration and enabled them to successfully undergo follow-up care at the hospital.

But United Hatzalah volunteers’ compassion and caring did not end here. The woman’s dog was left alone and forlorn after she was taken away by the ambulance. Our volunteers made sure to give him to a neighbor to look after until his owner recuperates.