When the call went out that American firefighters were needed in Israel on Oct. 7, South Florida responded without hesitation.
Within days, crews from Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Hollywood and Miami Beach were working alongside Israeli firefighters wherever needed.
“With the increase of rocket attacks and the increase of calls the Israel fire rescue service has to open up more fire engines so they need people to help expand their capacity,” said Plantation Fire Dept. Lieutenant Aston Bright. “The Americans that come, we come to help staff those extra engines.”
South Florida firefighters are responding to rocket attacks along with other routine emergencies like arson or car accidents. Nothing could prepare Bright for what he had seen during his two-week deployment.
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“On one call a few day ago, 11 rockets were fired towards our position and we had to take shelter in a bomb shelter. The iron dome intercepted all the rockets and when we came out we saw it intercepted all 11 rockets directly over where we were,” Bright said. “It’s just really mind-blowing of a situation. It’s not something you can train or prepare for. But thank God for the iron dome system because it really saves a lot of lives here.”
Sixty-five American firefighters from 11 states have gone to Israel in recent weeks. They traveled with an organization called Emergency Volunteers Project, which started in 2007 so that Americans could respond quickly in Israel in times of need.
The Jewish Federation of Miami helped sponsor this third wave of firefighters in Israel. Being there in the war zone and volunteering around the clock, speaks volumes to the Israeli people.
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“Our presence here when Israelis see us wherever we are, really boost their morale,” Bright said.
Bright says as he responds day in and day out he has Israeli hostages in mind. He hopes what he is doing in some small way helps to bring them home safely.
