EIN GEV, Israel (Press Release) — Every year during Pesach, hundreds of thousands of people visit the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and Magen David Adom is preparing accordingly by strengthening the forces in the area with an MDA Jet-Ski, which will be in operation from the beginning of the Pesach vacation in the Ein Gev resort village in the Jordan Valley region. The Jet-Ski is equipped with advanced medical equipment, including resuscitation devices, dressing equipment, an Epipen syringe for the treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions and more. The Jet-Ski will be operated by MDA volunteers with a special license for the vessel, and will be operated seven days a week during the Pesach holiday and during the summer days, and will enable quick access from the Sea of Galilee to the beaches to which drowning people have been rescued or in need of urgent medical assistance. The project was carried out in full cooperation with a unit of the Border Police of the Jordan Valley and the Jordan Valley Regional Council, which coordinated the implementation of the Jet-Ski, which was given to the Council by the Ministry of the Interior due to the drownings in the area.
Head of the Immediate Response Division in the Yarden Region, Yossi Halabi, commented: “We have trained 35 volunteers, most of whom are already trained as MDA EMTs, and some of whom have a license to operate the marine vessel, and some of whom have a regular license but were recruited for this special assignment. The rationale behind the vessel is that it will reduce response times to patients who have been rescued from the water and need immediate medical attention. The vessel is equipped to handle various injuries including: animal related injuries, snake bites, drowning, and injuries resulting from water sports as we have seen in previous years. The training included many topics which were taught by instructors with years of experience including marine police, the dive team, and others who were able to pass their knowledge to the MDA volunteers.”
MDA and Marine Police volunteer Chen Stepman, added: “As we approach beach season, and as part of the training to operate the Jet-Ski, we had a special training today which also emphasized operational safety when using the vessel, and shortening response times to the beaches which can take an ambulance longer to arrive. We are expecting to be able to use this vessel for its intended purpose of shortening response times, and provide rapid medical treatment to patients until the arrival of MDA teams and units.”
The Head of the Jordan Valley Local Council, Ido Greenbaum, said: “We are spending the days leading up to Passover upgrading and strengthening the feeling of security for our citizens, in partnership with Magen David Adom. We are pleased to hear of MDA’s upgrade and use of the Jet-Ski which will allow MDA EMTs to arrive quickly to a scene, at all times, at any location in the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding beaches.”
MDA Director General, Eli Bin, furthr explained, “The challenges we face drive us to do all we can to arrive quickly to those in need of our services. We do this using any and all means of technology and tools possible including specialized rescue vehicles. Today we dedicated our first Jet-Ski in cooperation with the Jordan Valley Regional Council and Council Head Ido Greenbaum, the Ministry of the Interior, the Boader Police, and MDA volunteers who were trained to operate the vehicle and are able to arrive quickly to the beaches surrounding the Sea of Galilee. I am grateful to all of our professional and committed partners. We will continue to take every step to save lives.”
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Preceding provided by Magen David Adom