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Volunteers from Israel’s national emergency medical services (EMS) organization, United Hatzalah, held a mass-casualty training exercise that involved graduates and participants from Alei Siach, an organization that provides comprehensive and all-encompassing programs for individuals with special needs of many ages. The drill took place last week and involved counselors and participants of Alei Siach in the training exercise. United Hatzalah volunteers from local chapters and volunteers from the Psychotrauma unit drilled the proper response to a terror attack that involved individuals with special needs.

The training exercise took place in the heart of Kfar Saba and was used to train United Hatzalah volunteers’ abilities to properly control the situation and triage and treat many victims simultaneously. At the end of the training exercise, the two organizations made plans for future collaborations.

Alei Siach was founded by Rabbi Chaim Perkal, whose daughter, Rivka, was diagnosed with Autism. Rabbi Perkal learned from his daughter everything he needs to know about what it means to raise a special child who grows into a special adult – and the painful shadows it casts on the rest of the family. From that experience, the organization was born and currently helps hundreds of families across Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: United Hatzalah)