United Hatzalah volunteers have been dispatched to face a fire that broke out in a forest surrounding the town of Kiryat Yearim in the Jerusalem hills.
The fire was located near the location of the previous fires that took place in the Jerusalem hills and close to the homes of residents in Givat Yearim. It extended into the forest in the direction of Etanim in the Jerusalem corridor.
Firefighters declared that they gained control of the blaze as volunteers and ambulances are on standby ready to step in to assist the case of injury or in case the need for evacuations arises.
Early the same morning, ironically, United Hatzalah joined the fire department, police, border police, and local security teams from the regional council of Matte Yehuda in conducting a large-scale drill that simulated a fire in the same area, Givat Yearim.
Coordinator of Special Operations of United Hatzalah David Krispel, who was both at the training drill and was overseeing operations during the fire said,
"At 7 a.m. this morning we began a joint training exercise with the fire department, the police, and local security services the simulated the outbreak of a large fire near the school in Givat Yearim. During the simulation, we were responsible for providing medical coverage and evacuation of the injured as well as overseeing medical coverage for the firefighters."
Krispel continued. "Just two hours after the drill concluded, we receive an alert of a real fire right near where the drill took place. This is very near the location of the fires that burned large swaths of the forest during the past two weeks. We dispatched forces very quickly based on both our previous experiences from the recent fires as well as from the drill this morning.
"Firefighters responded quickly and worked hard in order to gain control of the blaze before the afternoon winds whip up the flames further. We're working in complete partnership with the fire department and the police in order to safeguard those working to combat the blaze as well as the residents."