In a historic partnership, dozens of U.S. paramedics and
technicians from the Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Service are
being trained by Magen David Adom to field emergency calls in
Israel in the event of a major war.
"The next war will be at home," says Magen David Adom
official Chaim Rafalowski, "and Hatzalah members will be
prepared."
"We have told Magen David that we are ready to go when you
need us the most," said Chevra Hatzalah president Heshy
Jacob, who hopes to have 60 volunteers trained and ready
before the yomim noraim.
The volunteers, who are training in the U.S. and in Israel,
would assume civilian duties to relieve medics called into
army service. But Hatzalah officials see a second benefit:
Their medics are learning how to respond to a terrorist
attack, skills they may one day need in New York.
The program is in response to Israel's fear that it could
find itself in a war with one or many Arab states on its
borders while Palestinians wage continued or increased terror
attacks within Israel and its territories.
There is fear also of a missile attack, such as in the 1991
Gulf War, which could include nuclear, chemical or biological
weapons involving unprecedented civilian casualties. That
fear has been compounded by increased discussion of a second
U.S. attack on Iraq as part of the war on terrorism.
"In 1967 and 1973, the threat was very different," said Chaim
Rafalowski, MDA's director of emergency operations, during a
visit to New York this week to supervise the training
program. "Then, Magen David Adom only assisted in
transporting the wounded [from the fronts]. The next war will
be at home.
"Israel expects us to run as many ambulances as we can during
[a conflict] that could take many weeks to win."
Hatzalah, would "in our time of need provide us with
volunteers on very short notice who would assist us in our
missions," said Rafalowski.
Adam Cohen, a 30-year-old banker who answers Hatzalah calls
on the Upper East Side, took part in the training.
"My wife was naturally hesitant, but she understands that
this is a program that I need to be part of, and she's very
supportive," said Cohen, who became an Israeli citizen in
1999 and has volunteered with Magen David Adom in the
past.
At the training session, he and some 40 others gathered at
the Ramaz School, where Rafalowski detailed MDA's operations
and protocols. Rafalowski also discussed response plans for
mass casualty incidents, including those involving weapons of
mass destruction or hazardous materials.
"He covered the different roles that providers need to cover
based on when they arrive at an incident and the importance
of triaging for the initial responders, as well as methods of
patient evacuation and scene safety," said Cohen.
While most of the volunteers have responded to mass casualty
incidents, such as auto crashes or other accidents, they are
aware that responding to a bomb blast is completely
different.
"They've gotten it much more down to a science and had much
more operational experience, unfortunately, than we have
here," said Cohen, who recalled a Bronx car crash with six
injured as his most serious emergency call.
After their New York training, the volunteers will travel to
Israel to ride with MDA medics, at least one of whom would be
present with the Americans during a crisis to help with
geography and language barriers.
Cohen said that while there was no pressure placed on
Hatzalah members to volunteer for this duty, officials did
stress that it was crucial for those who undergo the training
to be committed.
"Our members will not hesitate to go, no matter what the
circumstances," said Cohen. "It's almost a no- brainer if
they call us and there is a critical shortage. They know that
they might have to face multi- casualty incidents, but also
the old lady who fell and can't get up."
Although Magen David Adom was founded 20 years before the
establishment of Israel, and Hatzalah has been saving lives
in Jewish communities since the late 1960s, the two
organizations had no formal ties until several months ago.
The initiative was a response both to the ongoing carnage in
Israel and the threat of a wider conflict, as well as the
realization that New York is increasingly vulnerable to
terror.
David Shipper, a Hatzalah board member and spokesman, said "9-
11 brought home a much greater awareness that we need to have
the highest level of protection in serving our community.
There is more of a threat to our patients as victims than
we've seen before."
Some 200 Hatzalah medics responded to the World Trade Center
attack, the worst terror incident in U.S. history,
transporting 133 victims to local hospitals and treating
dozens more on the scene. But Jacob said learning from
Israel's experience was the best way to be prepared.
The volunteers, all charedi males, range from single yeshiva
students to heads of households. All have been warned of the
risks associated with responding to terror attacks; secondary
explosives sometimes are timed to kill medics and policemen.
And just last week, medics arriving at the scene of a fatal
shooting near the West Bank settlement of Alei Zahav came
under heavy gunfire, although none was injured.
"There are no 100 percent guarantees," said Rafalowski, who
says terrorists are believed to study ambulance response
patterns. But he said only three medics have died in the past
two years out of more than 2,000 MDA employees. Rafalowski
said statistics showed a greater risk of medics being injured
in traffic accidents.
Jacob said he initially feared that the danger might cause
some volunteers to drop out of the program.
"The opposite happened," he said. "More people signed up."
With 850 volunteers staffing almost 60 ambulances in the five
boroughs and in Nassau County on Long Island, Chevra Hatzalah
is believed to be the largest volunteer ambulance corps in
the U.S. (Hatzalah organizations in New Jersey, elsewhere in
New York State and other areas of North America cooperate
with Chevra Hatzalah but are separate entities.)
Jacob said that makes this operation one of the largest
organized relief efforts on behalf of Israel in history. "We
are the largest and the best trained," he said.
Shipper added that Chevra Hatzalah would serve as a "clearing-
house" to train volunteers from other non- affiliated
Hatzalah groups who want to take part in the program.
Before heading back to Israel last week, Rafalowski said he
was impressed with the caliber and professionalism of the
Hatzalah volunteers.
"We are confident that we can put them in a Magen Dovid Adom
ambulance and they will be able to respond to anything," he
said, "from a terror attack to someone with chest pains."
