The Talmud tells us that he who saves a life saves an entire world.
United Hatzalah, Israel’s volunteer medic organization, is in the business of saving many, many worlds.
The Israeli organization provides the quickest emergency medical first response throughout Israel. Using innovation and technology, their highly trained all-volunteer team of medics have reduced response times to three minutes or less, from the very north to the very south of Israel.
Here’s how they do it:
United Hatzalah’s dispatch call center combines phone calls, medic app alerts, and video from those in need or those on-scene to provide immediate response with trained medics and equipment. Volunteers are on call 24/7, 365 days a year, who react instantly from their homes and workplaces, by foot, motorcycle, car, ATV, e-bike, water rescue ambuboat, and even tractor.
United Hatzalah’s dispatch center integrates the latest GPS tracking technology with proprietary interactive dispatch software to allow dispaters the optimal level of resources that are available for any given incident.
The intuitive interactivity of the system allows the first responder to provide central dispatch with invaluable accurate on-scene incident data rapidly.
With a fleet of 5,000 volunteers around the country, they are able to reach incidences that occur minutes from their location, arriving in the precious first minutes of an emergency and offering medical treatment before ambulances arrive.
The average response time is three minutes in Israel’s smaller cities, but just 90 seconds in larger cities. Their innovation raises rates of survival and facilitates optimal recovery.
United Hatzalah’s ambucycle unit is designed to bring speed and efficiency to save more lives, more efficiently.
United Hatzalah volunteers respond to over 1,000 emergency calls per day in Israel.
Their medical equipment center houses critical equipment, with a computerized inventory system that establishes proper maintenance and supervision protocols so that the volunteers will have all the necessary tools at their fingertips required for rapid response.
Volunteers are trained at United Hatzalah’s training and simulation center, with state-of-the-art simulations to better prepare for emergencies.
Volunteers participate in regular training to reduce the risk of injury associated with the extensive physical exertion of volunteers.
The volunteers also enjoy support groups, events, organized activities, and a hub to rest and refresh.
United Hatzalah exports their technology and is now in 20 other countries, outside of Israel.