A historic event took place this week when a delegation of US rescue forces who worked together with the IDF delegation at the Surfside disaster visited Israel to train with the Home Front Command rescue unit and learn from Israel’s innovative rescue techniques, especially its 3D mapping technology.

The US forces carried out a rescue exercise at a training site with the Home Front Command and participated in a two-day workshop on rescue methods and the processing of trauma. They also toured Israel for two days and visited sites to learn about Jewish heritage and Israeli history.

Golan Vach, who headed the Home Front Command’s delegation at Surfside, spoke to Chareidim 10 about the visit. “They came because we invited them,” Vach said. “They also came to learn more advanced rescue techniques, following what they saw at the site. We have a lot to teach them. They’re a group of people who are very very professional in many areas, especially in technical aspects. Their logistics, their technical-practical techniques are very strong.”

“We brought a different concept – that we build a plan, gather intelligence, and determine where it’s appropriate to work. We came to learn the ‘legs’ from them and they came to learn the ‘head’ from us.”

Task forces 1 and 2 that were joined by the Israeli aid delegation in the rescue efforts at the Surfside tragedy have arrived in Israel. Together, they went to a practice site and held a workshop to summarize lessons learned.

We stand together in our mission to save lives. 🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QrhoXHCN0e

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 8, 2021

“The Surfside disaster wasn’t a huge disaster like an earthquake but they said this week that in many many ways it was harder than the Twin Towers disaster (9/11)- people who worked on rescue teams at the Twin Towers said that. Grappling with the Surfside disaster was extremely difficult in many aspects – physically and mentally. Many people died in a concentrated place. It was a very complex and difficult operation.”

“After we returned to Israel, we raised a budget to bring the US rescue forces to Israel and provide training. The Jewish community in Miami, who really wanted to assist us financially after what we did for them, helped us very much. HaRav Shalom Lipskar, the Rav of the kehilla that accompanied the delegation, made the financial part of this happen.”

“We’ve been collaborating with dozens of rescue units for many years. I can say that it’s rare to find a power like the United States to be willing to change its perception. If it’s a third-world country, it’s understandable that they may change their perception but for the US to do such a thing is very unusual.”

“The fact that we came to the US was a shock to the whole world. Why? Because the US never received aid, never…we were the first international delegation in the history of the US to land there. The US never asked for aid from any country.”

“When we got there, at the beginning they were very reluctant. ‘Who are you? What can you give us?’ The forces at the site considered themselves professionals and there were many resue teams there. ‘Who are you? A staff of several people – will all due respect to Israel – what can you give us?'”

“The fact that we ended up tearing their rescue concept into shreds and presenting data that resulted in finding all the people trapped at the site within days was an earthquake for them – so they wanted to learn from us.”

“We learned from them – especially in everything connected to the way the forces in the US organize themselves, which is amazing – an empire with endless resources like you read about in books. To illustrate – in Israel there are 160 firefighters per million people and in total there are 1260 firefighters in the whole country. In the US, there are 1,000 firefighters per million people – they have eight times more firefighters than Israel apart from rescue forces.”

“They were very excited to find out that despite their experience of many years, there’s something they don’t have – our way of thinking that analyzes the rescue challenge and rescue is completely different. We’re teaching them how simple it is and in their words – it’s genius.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)