ZAKA Search and Rescue

[winterg]

http://www.zaka.us/index.asp

Thought some of you folks (read: other SAR junkies like me) might find this interesting.

I recently received a request from one of the Jewish organizations I belong to for donations to ZAKA.  Traditionally they were the volunteers that collected and identified the remains of victims after terrorist attacks. (A difficult and noble task to be sure)

More recently, they have a much more expanded role to include First Responder duties and SAR on an international level.  This includes high-angle rescue as well as divers! They even deployed to Katrina.  After looking over their website I'm requesting information on their training to be a volunteer.  No, I'm not leaving CAP, but it might be nice to put my training and experience to good use with my fellow Jews. (yes, I am sure they accept non-jews.  )

I hope I put this in the right category, if not, sorry.

[Flying Pig]

How do you become a member of the organization when they are in Israel?  Or do you mean just a supporter?

[winterg]

There are responders in several countries from what I have been reading, not just in Israel anymore.  They have offices in Israel, France, United States, and Britain now.  And they respond to major disasters worldwide.  According to the website: "ZAKA is expanding its International Rescue Unit to include local, ZAKA-trained teams that are ready to respond in their local communities to any mass casualty incident."

I am really interested in is some of the training they offer.

ZAKA International Unit Training Programs

Level A: Basic training for ZAKA International Rescue Unit member certification
5 full days (45 hours) + accommodation.
Certified medical first responder for treatment of different illnesses and trauma.
Security preparedness and response.
How to deal with mass casualty incident (MCI) and disaster scenes
Honoring the dead (Chesed shel emet) + working with Forensics and remains.
Concluding drill (hands-on field drill in Israel, table-top simulation overseas)
Exams + certification.

Level B: Advanced training for ZAKA International Rescue Unit Coordinators
4 full Days (36 hours) + accommodation.
Mass casualty incident, principals and treatment during the first critical 15 minutes
Toxicological Terrorism, the practical threat on our community, preparedness and response.
Mega terrorism, principals and comparison to standard MCI.
Command and control, communications and leadership.
Mass casualty toxicological terrorism case studies and debriefing.
Concluding drill (hands-on field drill in Israel, table-top simulation overseas)
Exams + certification.

Terror related Mass Casualty Incident; The Israeli Perspective (for police, fire chiefs and officers)
1-2 full days (9-18 hours)
Mass casualty medical response in Israel, the principals.
Disaster scene management, emergency medical services (EMS) and bomb squad collaboration and parallel work.
Staging and evacuating police + EMS collaboration.
Hospital, EMS, police communication network (for online incident management and control).
The ZAKA forensic protocol, Chesed shel emet and the Jewish law embedded in the Israel Police force forensic unit.
Actual case studies of mass casualty terror incidents.
Table top simulation.
Annual Refresher Training for Level A and Level B training
1-2 full days (9-18 hours)

Many of the courses would definitely be valuable for CAP responders, not just in Jewish related contexts.

Look at the part about their rapid response motorcycle units, I thought that was pretty interesting as well.

(Sorry for the long post)

[fyrfitrmedic]

 Their reputation for scene preservation and forensics is way up there...

[Flying Pig]

The one greatest difference though, is that Jewish law is enforceable in Israel isnt it?  And the police actually have religious protocols they follow.  It seems from looking at them that one of ZAKAs primary roles is to ensure these religious protocols are met, not necessarily crime scene forensics and investigations?  Still  neat though to see how countries meet threats in their own ways.  Those are volunteers who deserve a slap on the back.

[winterg]

You're right, ZAKA originally responded to just terrorist attacks in Israel and handled the remains in accordance with strict Halachic law.  But it appears that they have expanded and are willing/able to respond to a myriad of disasters now. Not just ones involving my tribesmen.

Here's the link for their International Rescue Unit: http://www.zaka.us/intl-home.asp

[JayT]

If it's anything like Hatzalah, I doubt they play to much with non-Jewish folks, memberwise at least.

God bless'em through, for helping to bring some order and peace to the chaos.