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This stamp is dedicated wholeheartedly to the people who save lives in times of emergency. The men and women of Israel's rescue forces devote their time and energy to training and preparation in anticipation of a time when their involvement and swift action may be needed. Natural disaster, accident, acts of terrorism or war — any of these might lead to an emergency situation necessitating rescue force intervention in order to minimize the magnitude of the disaster and reduce human casualties and property damage as much as possible.
Members of the various rescue forces are responsible for evacuating the injured from the scene of an event, providing initial life saving treatment and speedy transfer to hospital. They handle a long list of emergency situations including the rescue of trapped persons, fire fighting and neutralizing hazardous materials. Some work to protect the public from law breakers and terrorists, while others perform rescue operations to save people who are trapped in dangerous places, such as collapsed buildings.
Numerous volunteers are active in each of the rescue organizations. These volunteers devote their time to saving lives and act alongside the organizations' professionals. They come from all walks of life — men women, young and old — and their dedicated work allows the rescue organizations to fulfill their missions.
In addition to the role played by volunteers in the key rescue organizations' operations, there are groups of volunteers in Israel who specialize in unique rescue efforts. One example of many such groups are the regional search and rescue units which incorporate volunteers who live locally. These people are extremely familiar with the area in which they live and are called upon to help locate and rescue hikers who have lost their way or run into difficulties while hiking.
Rescue operations may put the rescuers into extremely dangerous positions and at times rescue force personnel have lost their lives in the course of their attempts to help others. The Israeli public witnessed one such chilling instance during huge fire that took place in the Carmel Forest in December 2010. The courage shown by the rescue forces, who risk their own lives to enter danger zones, deserves the grateful public's appreciation.
