JERUSALEM - As Iran and Hezbollah escalate their threats against Israel, the nation's emergency services are preparing for potential large-scale attacks. CBN News got an exclusive look at how Israel's national emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, is readying itself for any scenario.
While the Red Cross serves the Christian world and the Red Crescent serves Muslim countries, in Israel, it's the Red Star of David that stands ready to save lives. Magen David Adom, or MDA, is Israel's national emergency medical service. With over 30,000 volunteers, they're often the first to respond in times of crisis.
MDA Chief of Staff Uri Shacham said, "Ever since October 7th, 2023, Magen David Adom has been preparing for a large-scale war in Israel. We understand that maybe international assistance will be blocked because the airport will be closed. So we have stored medical equipment, water, and food rations for many months and months ahead."
MDA's resources are extensive, including more than 1,500 ambulances, hundreds of motorcycles, boats, and helicopters. They're preparing for every possible scenario.
"We train our people to work in what we call an isolated island scenario. Meaning these are the ambulances that you have. This is the manpower that you have. Now think of how you respond better without having the umbrella of the entire organization," Shacham said.
As they seek to help Israel be as prepared as possible for whatever might happen in the next few days, Magen David Adom is doing a lot more than just providing ambulance services and first aid training. They're also stockpiling things like generators in different spots all around the country in case there's a nationwide power outage because of the attacks.
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MDA is also working to empower local communities to respond effectively in emergencies.
"We train communities, we equip them with medical equipment. So if, God forbid, they are attacked, they can respond first, understanding that response might be delayed because of blockage of roads and because of the intensity of the attacks," Shacham said.
In addition to their dedicated personnel, MDA is utilizing advanced technology to enhance their life-saving capabilities.
"We are using AI features in order to send ambulances automatically without the intervention of a human being," Shacham said. "We use machine learning processes in order to predict where the next call will come from."
As people here in Israel are watching the skies and praying for protection, Magen David Adom is ready for any scenario.
"We are in, standby, standby, period," he said. "Nobody really knows what will happen. And we do understand that if Iran will retaliate from five different, fronts, this might cause, damage in a, in a colossal magnitude. This might cause, hundreds, if not thousands of wounded. And this is what everyone, are preparing for."
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