United Hatzalah’s Kafr Kassem branch hosted a community outreach event at Al-Ghazali School on Monday, November 10, 2025, reported United Hatzalah.
The program, executed in partnership with local fire and police departments, engaged approximately 680 students, focusing on introducing students to emergency response procedures and the work of first responders.
According to Hatzalah, the initiative's main goals were to increase awareness of the organization's operations in Kafr Kassem and to promote community service among the youth.
Student engagement and lifesaving instruction
Students rotated through several interactive stations to engage directly with United Hatzalah’s environment.
Among the circuit's main activities, participants viewed an emergency ambulance and observed a demonstration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, learning about the vehicle’s function. They also viewed lifesaving medical equipment used by the volunteers, who respond to nearly 2,000 emergency calls daily across Israel, United Hatzalah reported.
At the ambucycle station, Hatzalah's medics explained how the motorcycles allow them to reach emergency scenes within minutes.
As a basic guide to saving lives, the first-aid booth also provided instructions on practical steps on how to be prepared for an emergency. The students interacted with emergency vehicles and personnel, and received keepsakes including balloons, phone holders, and bracelets, reported United Hatzalah.
Coordinator commends volunteers and local operations
Zohir Abu Jaber, United Hatzalah Operations Coordinator for the Kafr Kassem branch, acknowledged his team's efforts. Jaber expressed appreciation to the volunteers for their hard work, professionalism, and commitment to the day’s operation, reported Hatzalah.
United Hatzalah's operations in Kafr Kassem form part of its broader mission as a non-profit, all-volunteer emergency medical services organization across Israel. The local Kfar Kassem-Kfar Bara-Jaljulya branch utilizes dozens of doctors, paramedics, and EMTs from the community, all of whom volunteer their time, United Hatzalah reported on their official website.
The volunteers provide free medical first response, typically arriving on ambucycles, ambulances, and off-road vehicles to deliver initial stabilizing treatment before a standard ambulance arrives. The organization's national goal is to achieve an average response time of less than three minutes per emergency.
Training and regional integration
United Hatzalah established a regional training and activity center, a "volunteer house," in Kafr Kassem. This center functions as a training hub for medical volunteers, a first-aid training center for the Arabic-speaking public, and a logistics and supply center for volunteers to restock medical equipment.
Volunteers from Kafr Kassem serve their own city and operate throughout the wider Sharon region, providing emergency medical care to all people regardless of background. Furthermore, the Kafr Kassem-based volunteers regularly participate in joint training exercises with organizations like the IDF Home Front Command and local security forces, simulating mass casualty incidents like missile attacks to enhance local preparedness, Hatzalah reported.
This local branch is part of the organization's nationwide network of 95 branches, which utilizes local volunteers to ensure rapid response times in their immediate communities.