Ben Shetiat just finished his EMT training course two days ago. Yesterday he began volunteering with United Hatzalah as a first responder. His first emergency call will be one that he will never forget.

“On sunday I finished my training course as an EMT. After six months of intensive training, I am excited as now I can finally begin to go out on calls and save lives,” said Shetiat after he finished the course.

On Monday Shetiat got his first call. “The radio chirped and announced that an infant was having seizures very close to where I work. I immediately rushed over to the scene and on the way it clicked that the address was the same as my sister’s house. I arrived in less than two minutes. I calmed my sister down and told her that everything was going to be alright. I began treating my nephew. Even though it was my cute little Harel, who I hold dear to my heart, I managed to act with a sense of professionalism, relying on my training. The ambulance arrived 7 minutes after me. Harel was taken to the hospital and we are very happy that he came back home later that night.”

“United Hatzalah’s purpose is to provide emergency medical services before the ambulance arrives. Our national command center dispatches the volunteers who are closest to the given emergency in order to have first responders arrive as fast as possible. When I made the decision to volunteer, I did it because I wanted to help people. I never imagined that in my first emergency  I would be helping Harel. Now I understand that we are not only helping those who are close to us in proximity, our co-workers and our communities, but we are also helping our family members and loved ones.”