Volunteer West Bank paramedics introduce ambulance-tractor

Tractor introduced as part of the lessons learned from the terror attack in which 2 Kiryat Arba residents were shot dead while hiking near Hebron.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
tractor ambulance 224.88 (photo credit: Judea and Samaria Rescue Service)
tractor ambulance 224.88
(photo credit: Judea and Samaria Rescue Service)
A new ambulance-tractor designed to reach areas out of bounds to other rescue vehicles was unveiled this week by the Judea and Samaria Rescue Service (Hatzala Yosh), a volunteer paramedic organization which seeks to provide first aid in high-risk security areas. Ephraim Goldman, spokesman for the organization, said the tractor was being introduced as part of the lessons learned from the terror attack in December in which two residents of Kiryat Arba were shot dead while hiking near Hebron. One woman survived the attack, and was left alone with the bodies of her friends for almost an hour, Goldman said. "It's a miracle she wasn't kidnapped or harmed herself," he added. "In may past cases, emergency crews have had to face extreme difficulties in reaching casualties. This tractor can carry a crew and two wounded persons, and can shorten the time needed to provide first aid," Goldman said. The vehicle carries cutting-edge medical equipment, and also has room for a stretcher to carry a third casualty if needed, he added.