New York, NY., May 4, 2021 — As the world marks International Firefighters’ Day, a recent report from Israel’s Fire & Rescue Authority has revealed that thanks to Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) support of Israel’s firefighters in the Negev and Galilee, more land has been protected from fires than ever before because of better equipment and reduced response times.
A comparison shows that thanks to JNF-USA, during time periods with a similar number of fires, the area of burnt land drastically reduced from 2018 to 2020, from 10,000 acres to 1,500 thousand.
JNF-USA supported firefighters
Head of Security – Eshkol Region Elan Isaacson notes that the average response time for fires has decreased from 15 minutes to 7 minutes. “Our volunteers can fight this incendiary balloon terrorism with the equipment provided by Jewish National Fund-USA,” said Isaacson.
“I can’t thank you enough. The fact that we can extinguish the fires so quickly helps build our resilience, and the people of the region trust us that if there is a fire, we can get to it and they are safe.
A crucial element of the fire and rescue service improvement was involved the seven ATV-style Rapid Action Fire Vehicles, which serve as quick response apparatus for the region. Four of these vehicles are already operational, and they are supported by 13 fire wagons already provided by JNF-USA in the Gaza Envelope Region.
JNF-USA supported firefighters
“If you the current period to last year after we received the Rapid Action Fire Vehicles, fire wagons and personal equipment for the volunteer firefighters, the results speak for themselves,” Isaacson said.
JNF-USA’s Rapid Action Fire Vehicles
Head of Eshkol Community Center Michal Uziyahu said: “JNF-USA started to assist us and support us with fire and rescue equipment even before we asked. Once we realized that we needed it desperately the help was already on its way. Their footsteps are everywhere here in Eshkol.”
Visit jnf.org/firefighting to learn more about the important work JNF-USA is doing with fire and rescue services, as well as the other ways JNF-USA is turning the desert into a vibrant, green oasis.
