On July 16th, a mass rescue drill was conducted by the Security Department of the Ramat Gan Municipality, led by the Resilience and Emergency Preparedness Division. The drill involved multiple authorities and many volunteers. The drill simulated the rescue of trapped individuals from a collapsed site following a missile strike, with the aim of improving overall preparedness and response capabilities for similar future scenarios.
Access Israel’s ‘Purple Vest Mission’ played a significant role in the drill, focusing on the integration of evacuation and rescue scenarios for people with disabilities during emergencies. Our Purple Vest team managed a hands-on experience in accessible evacuations, guiding the rescue team that composed of volunteers from Ramat Gan’s emergency response unit, in the safe evacuation of people with disabilities and senior citizens and in using accessible evacuation chair and more.
The ‘Purple Vest’ team conducted practice of accessible evacuation methods, addressing the unique challenges involved in rescuing people with disabilities and the elderly. The drill included scenarios such as assisting a blind person during a siren or rescuing a wheelchair user who was thrown from their chair due to a missile impact.
The Purple Vest Mission has been active for over two years, with an increased efforts since October 7th, aiming to assist in evacuating people with disabilities and the elderly to accessible and safe locations, finding accessible protection solutions, and offering professional training to emergency teams both in Israel and internationally.
The implementation of accessibility procedures in emergency drills globally is of utmost importance, and we at the Purple Vest Mission are proud to be among the leaders in spreading this vital knowledge, providing tools and various training sessions on the topic to international audiences, organizations, and government agencies.
Access Israel and the Purple Vest mission call on organizations, institutions, and bodies worldwide to take up the challenge and incorporate emergency drills that include the evacuation of people with disabilities.
We would be happy to assist in this effort.
Please contact us for more information at [email protected]
