On Sunday afternoon around 12:30, United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs Kenneth Staub and Yossi Horovitz were driving the newly donated ambulance #63 on its first shift in the city of Beitar Illit, when they were notified of an emergency on Kidushat HaLevi Street, where a man had fallen, hit his head, and required immediate medical assistance.
Already at the scene was United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Moshe Vales, who lives in the apartment building where the man collapsed. Moshe was at home when a neighbor knocked on his door urgently to tell him that someone was lying unconscious on the floor in the lobby. He grabbed his medical kit and ran downstairs to find the man with a large bloody gash on his head. He checked for vitals and found none, so he immediately attached a defibrillator and started resuscitation. The defibrillator registered that the man was experiencing ventricular fibrillation and administered a shock.
Kenneth and Yossi arrived shortly thereafter with the necessary medical equipment from the ambulance and rushed to help with the resuscitation.
This would be as good a place as any to add that Kenneth had donated ambulance #63 which was being inaugurated with him onboard.
After only four minutes of compressions, the blue color in the patient’s face started to lighten to gray, and the EMTs felt a steady pulse slowly returning. But suddenly, the man started to gasp for air, opened his eyes and shouted and was flailing his arms. He was confused and tried to push away the EMTs who were performing the resuscitation. Everyone was a bit frightened but also excited that the patient had returned to full consciousness, albeit in a state of confusion.
Thanks to the quick arrival of the first responders, the new ambulance with all the advanced resuscitation equipment, and God’s help, the patient’s life was saved and he experienced complete recovery.
After the incident, Kenneth spoke about what inspired him to join United Hatzalah. “I was truly inspired by my daughter Ravit, who is a passionate volunteer EMT for United Hatzalah. I also admire the organization and the lifesaving work of Eli Beer and the people around him.”
Kenneth concluded: “The ambulance is a memorial to my parents and what they taught me. I continue to help the organization as a board member, as a volunteer first responder, and in any other way that I can. I do this because saving lives is important to me.”