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Fire and Rescue Services (Israel)

image located by Esteban Rivera
based on photo from https://www.ashqelon.net

Israel Fire and Rescue
Commissioner of Fire and Rescue for Israel

See also:

Israel Fire and Rescue

"כבאות והצלה לישראל" (English: Israel Fire and Rescue) is the system that provides the Israeli public with various fire and rescue services (such as rescue services from terror attacks, car accident and dangerous substance spillages) in routine and emergency situations. Dialing 102 from any telephone in the country will route the call to the nearest regional fire and rescue services emergency center for the purpose of receiving an emergency call.

The first group of firefighters in Israel was established in Zichron Yaacov, in 1897, at the request of Baron Rothschild's clerk , and with the Baron's funding. The main reason for organizing the group was a number of fires at the Baron Winery in Zichron Yaacov and in Rishon Lezion. The group that was formed consisted of 32 volunteers from the estate's youth.

In 1925 there was a big flood in the Brenner neighborhood of Tel Aviv. During the flood many residents gathered at the scene, and some made rescue attempts, but without tools and proper training their success was limited. After the flood, Abba Cohen established the Tel Aviv Fire Brigade, which became the first fire brigade in the locality . The battalion recruited 73 volunteers. The battalion's fire station was set up in a hut located on Rothschild Boulevard, at the corner of Nahalat Binyamin Street, near the municipal police station. In addition, the municipality purchased a variety of essential equipment for carrying out firefighting and rescue missions. It was based in the first dedicated fire station in the country. Throughout the following years, more firefighting companies and fire stations were established throughout the Yishuv (Jewish settlements before independence was declared in 1948).

The Fire Services Law (Law No. 5719-1959) (http://main.knesset.gov.il/Activity/Legislation/Laws/Pages/LawPrimary.aspx?t=lawlaws&st=lawlawsnocurrent&lawitemid=2001413) was passed in 1959 and entered into effect on April 1, 1960. It established a fully professional firefighting force, as until then, firefighters had previously been volunteers.

At the beginning of 2011, the Israeli government approved the transfer of the fire brigade from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Public Security (sometimes referred to as Ministry of Internal Security and even Ministry of Homeland Security) and the establishment of an air fire brigade

On August 8, 2012 all fire and rescue issues were to be coordinated via the "מערך כבאות והצלה" (English: Fire and Rescue System) under the authority of the "חוק הרשות הארצית לכבאות והצלה" (English: National Fire and Rescue Authority Law (https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/legalinfo/fire_authority_law/he/FireAuthorityLaw2381.pdf) passed in 2012, which came into effect on February 8, 2013. The National Fire and Rescue Authority was established under the Ministry of Public Security. As part of the reform, the fire services in their previous form were abolished and transferred from the municipal system (city union) to a national system that replaces the 24 city fire and rescue associations in seven districts (similar to the situation in the IPS and the Israel Police).
Sources: https://www.gov.il/he/departments/about/aboutfireauthority, https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Fire_and_Rescue_Services

The flag is a red horizontal background with the logo in the middle.

Esteban Rivera, 4 February 2022

Commissioner of Fire and Rescue for Israel

image located by Esteban Rivera

Israel Fire and Rescue is under the command and management of "נציב כבאות והצלה לישראל" (English: Commissioner of Fire and Rescue for Israel).
Sources: https://www.gov.il/he/departments/about/aboutfireauthority , https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Fire_and_Rescue_Services

The flag is a red background with the State of Israel flag on the canton and the logo on the lower right corner towards the fly.

Esteban Rivera, 4 February 2022