Part 2: Firefighter Deployed to Israel

Listen to part 2 from the firefighter from Florida who answered the call for help in Israel in the latest episode of WFCA’s Fire Headlines Podcast.

Part 2: Firefighter Deployed to Israel

This week we are picking up where we left off with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Fire Captain Jason Friedman, sharing the story about his deployment to Israel just one week after the October 8^th attack. This two-week deployment was with the Emergency Volunteer Project (EVP). In the second part of this series, Captain Friedman joins the Fire Headlines team to share his experience interacting with those in Israel and his thoughts on his experience.

Touchdown In Israel

When Captain Friedman arrived in Israel, he and the other volunteers were given an overview of where the shelters were located and how much time they had to get there once the missile alarms sounded. Shortly after receiving this information, Captain Friedman says the alarm sounded “almost as a ‘welcome to Israel.’” The crew had a minute and 15 seconds to reach the shelters. The closer they were to Gaza, the shorter amount of time they had. Captain Friedman stated that everyone has around 30 seconds to safely get to shelter, “If you’re not in a shelter, then you try to find as much of an open space as possible. You hit the ground, put your hands over your head, and maybe do a little prayer.”

The volunteers quickly adjusted to this routine. After taking a day to adjust, they got to work. Captain Friedman and his crew worked for 10 days straight responding to fire-only calls. While engaged in constant training and work, their families back home amusingly kept close tabs.

Captain Friedman explains how the spouses of the deployed firefighters started a group chat with one another and had access to an app that allowed them to see where the missile attacks were. Unbeknownst to Captain Friedman, his wife had hidden an Apple AirTag in his luggage so she was able to track him, see how close he was to the missiles, and keep “all eyes on him.” “It was like, oh my god, this is like some spy stuff.” He expressed his gratitude for his wife feeling this sense of duty to make sure he was safe.

“Same Clowns, Different Circus”

Captain Friedman explains how he considers the firefighters he met during his deployment to be his “Israel family,” and compares them to his Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue family by affectionately saying it’s the “same clowns, different circus.” He says although there were some language barriers, he was able to communicate and joke with them just fine.

During their downtime, the crew shared all kinds of stories. Some discussions centered on the operational differences between the fire service in the United States and Israel, while others shared personal stories that connected the Israeli men to the current state of the war.

Captain Friedman said they all came from military backgrounds and a majority of them had lost a loved one. Some were killed, some were hurt, and others were taken. He describes these men as very strong-willed, and very well-composed people. “I gave him a hug after he told me that two of his good friends were killed…And I’m like, ‘I can’t believe how well composed you are, how strong you are.’ And I remember him saying to me, he goes, ‘What else are we going to be?’ He’s like, ‘There’s not a choice.’”

To learn more about the Emergency Volunteer Project, please visit: EVP – Emergency Volunteers Project

You can email Fire Headlines at [email protected].

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