On one of my less and less frequent trips to Facebook, I happened across a video by Nas Daily that got my attention. Typically, I gag at the usually hollow, and vague "inspirational" stuff, but more often than not, Nas does a good job at being informative and thoughtful as well as positive.
This particular video was about a man named Eli Beer. With a last name like that, you'd almost expect him to run a brewary, but he runs a, what I would call, first responder service called United Hatzalah of Israel, which loosely translates as "Uninted Group of Rescuers."
United Hatzalah boasts 5000 volunteers responding to (an average, I assume) 1000 calls a day! This organization is totally manned by volunteers, and receives all of it's funding through donations. It's also operates at no cost to it's users.
The problem Eli was trying to solve is how it often takes quite a while for a large ambulance to not only get from "A" to "B", but also push it's way through sometimes heavy traffic.
Part of his solution was, what he called an "Ambucycle". Basically a scooter loaded with medical supplies, driven by a volunteer with at least 6 months of first aid / EMS training to tend to the person till the big ambulance arrives, if necessary. Average response time is an amazing 3 minutes!
The fast response time can be attributed to not only the quick scooters that are easily maneuverable through and around traffic, but also to the mostly decentralized structure of the organization. Eli describes it as something akin to Uber (health). From what I gather, These scooters are equipped with GPS, and when a call comes in, The closest available volunteer is contacted and dispatched to the scene to administer first aid.
One of the things I find most beautiful about this is it has Muslims, Jews, and Christians all working side by side in this organization, offering aid to everyone. regardless of religious or political affiliation.
Expansion:
If you would like to start a similar service in your area, They are willing to assist and share their model with you. Click here to contact them about that.
You can also donate by clicking here.