PHOTOS: MDA Pays Tribute To Its ‘Community Life Saving Project’ Volunteers

[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Magen David Adom this week paid tribute to its ‘Community Life Saving Project’ (פרוייקט מצילים חיים בקהילה) program for chareidi males. The program offers them an alternative to IDF service.

In this week’s ceremony, fourteen graduates of the EMT program for this group took part in a ceremony during which they received their official rank, first aid response bag and equipment, vest, and a communications device. These volunteers will all be ‘on call’ from their homes at all times in additional to working preassigned shifts. For those certified as drivers, they will also keep an ambulance at home and they will serve as a second-tier response if and when all primary units are assigned calls.

The ceremony took place in the MDA Headquarters in Jerusalem in the presence of MDA Chief of Operations Eli Bin and Sar Shalom Jerbi, who heads the nation’s Sheirut Leumi (National Service) programs. Other senior officials from Jerbi’s office and MDA commanders from Jerusalem and other districts participated in the event.

The guest star was a married from Jerusalem resident, a woman in her 20s, who was saved by MDA EMTs performing CPR. Details of the case are intentionally vague as she was promised anonymity based on the minhag of her Jerusalem community and the media.

The woman collapsed into cardiac arrest on a local street. EMT Moshe Blech was first on the scene and began CPR on the young married woman. Joining him soon after were other MDA personnel, including one of the Sheirut Leumi on-call units who defibrillated her and brought her back to a spontaneous pulse.

B’chasdei Hashem she has recovered completely without neurological deficits. She was present along with her husband. While she was seated among the women, her husband alone spoke, thanking the MDA shluchim who saved her life. No photos of the couple or additional information that might disclose their identities is being released as MDA remains committed to respecting their privacy to avoid upsetting the community.

MDA officials are proud of the Sheirut Leumi program, which trains additional EMTs who will respond by ambulance or serve as part of MDA’s two-wheeled motorized ambucycle fleet in the areas they live. Many will continue serving with MDA for years following their two-year commitment.