PHOTOS: United Hatzalah Recognized By The Ministry Of Public Security

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

United (Ichud) Hatzalah will be officially added to the list of emergency organizations in Israel after the Ministry of Public Security announced the recognition of an organization of 3,500 emergency medical volunteers as an official Israeli rescue organization. This means that United Hatzalah will participate formally in all the national emergency events, and dozens more doctors, paramedics and EMTs will be dispatched to emergency events to provide life-saving treatment. The recognition complements the strengthening of the organization, which comes about two months after the Ministry of Health arranged the division of calls with MDA.

A significant and important reinforcement to Israel’s rescue forces. The organization, which includes 3,500 volunteers – doctors, paramedics and EMTs – will henceforth take an official part in all of Israel’s emergency events: terror attacks, natural disasters and mass disaster scenes, following the announcement by Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, as per section 90A of the Police Ordinance. The move was also welcomed by Police Commissioner Roni Alshich, who conducted an in-depth visit to the rescue association and was impressed by the quality of the organization’s work, which comes about two months after the Health Ministry issued a director general’s circular regulating the distribution of emergency calls between Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah.

Minister of Public Security, Gilad Erdan, said that “Unification is a professional and important organization that does a great job of saving lives, and there is no doubt that recognition of the organization will strengthen Israel’s rescue forces.”

Police Commissioner Roni Alshich said: “The recognition of United Hatzalah as an official rescue organization is another step towards synchronizing rescue efforts in times of emergency, which will facilitate the quality of the command and control of the Israel Police in these scenarios.”

United Hatzalah CEO Moshe Teitlebaum added, “We thank Minister Erdan, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Police Commissioner Alsheich for their trust and recognition of the organization and its 3,500 volunteers, who respond to over 300,000 calls annually, saving many lives on a daily basis. The joining of the United Hatzalah to the ranks of Israel’s rescue organizations is a badge of honor for us to help us continue to fight for saving lives”.