Closer to our 90 second goal: How United Hatzalah's ambuscooter can save more lives - opinion

I spend a lot of time thinking about 90 seconds.

In Tel Aviv, 90 seconds is the time it takes for a traffic light to cycle through, all while you sit behind a long row of cars. It is the time a scooter weaves from one end of a crowded boulevard to the other. It is also the time that can separate a close call from a tragedy when someone’s heart stops, or a child stops breathing.

For our volunteers at United Hatzalah, 90 seconds is a goal we have set for ourselves. A goal to reach every emergency in Israel within that short window, in every neighborhood and under every condition. It is an ambitious target in any city. In Tel Aviv, with its narrow side streets, packed promenades, and endless congestion, it can feel almost impossible.

Almost.

This was the impetus behind the creation of a fully volunteer-based network of medics, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals who are already embedded in the community and can respond within moments of learning about a medical emergency. It was the catalyst behind the innovation and development of the ambucycle, a converted motorcycle that was specially equipped to hold a medical kit and able to reach a patient quicker than a traditional ambulance.

United Hatzalah’s ingenuity and innovation is how the ambuscooter was born.

If you walk the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, you know the challenge. Ambulances get stuck in traffic. Even our ambucycles can find themselves slowed by bottlenecks or blocked streets. There are small alleys where not even an ambucycle can pass. These challenges are no match for the ambuscooter.

An ambuscooter can ride through the narrow streets, right into the lobby of a high-rise apartment or office building, up the elevator, and into someone’s apartment or office long before an ambulance team arrives.

The quiet, fully electric vehicle is especially designed to carry a complete medical kit, from an oxygen tank to a defibrillator. The wide tires and reinforced frame keep it stable even with significant weight on board. Dual braking systems give our volunteers control, and our safety courses prepare every rider to respect both the vehicle and the people around them.

For me, it represents something much greater than a new gadget on two wheels. The ambuscooter is a statement that innovation must live on the street, not only in a lab. It is a shining example of how we are willing to rethink everything, from technology to training, to make sure someone arrives quickly with the skills and equipment to save a life.

One of our veteran medics told me that until now, there were addresses in the city that he dreaded seeing on his phone, because he knew the traffic and street conditions would work against him. With the ambuscooter, he now feels ready to reach those hard-to-get-to places without fear that the city itself will block his attempts to help a person in need.

Ninety seconds is not just a catchy slogan or book title; it’s a promise that we strive to reach every new day. The ambuscooter is the newest way we are trying to reach that commitment. United Hatzalah will always put the sanctity of life first. We will always honor our heroes in orange vests who run to help someone in need. And it will always be about developing new ideas to help save lives.

We will continue to transform those ideas into reality on the streets of Israel and change the way we save lives. Hopefully, in less than a minute and a half.