Firefighters in Israel have taken delivery of three quad bikes as part of their on-going pursuit to save lives.
Three fully kitted out ATVs, complete with water cannons, were gifted to the ZAKA Rescue and Recovery Organisation by the chairman of the ZAKA board of directors, Michael Mirilashvili, and Dr. Alexander Machkevitch, President of the Euro Asian Jewish Congress.
ZAKA is an emergency response team, staffed solely by dedicated volunteers, and they were gifted the all-terrain vehicles to mark the end of the official mourning period for victims of a deadly fire at Carmel Forest, in northern Israel.
The fully equipped bikes carry a water pulse cannon with a 50 litre capacity. Firing water at 430 km/h, they are ten times more powerful than a conventional hose and can reduce the temperature of a fire by half with just one blast. They also carry medical supplies, enabling the injured to be treated by the first responders to a fire.
The bikes will be used in conjunction with Israel’s conventional fire fighting service, but will specialise in attending to emergencies in hilly and mountainous terrain, due to their mobility.
The bikes were presented during a ceremony that took place on Mount Carmel. Israel’s deputy Prime Minister, Eli Yishai, attended, along with officers from the police and fire departments, representatives from the USA, Spain and France, and families affected by the fire.
Also in attendance was Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who praised the work of ZAKA. He said:
“They did what they do best – getting on with saving more lives. May these ATVs be used for nothing more than women in childbirth!”