As part of the routine operations of ZAKA Tel Aviv alongside other first responders, preparations are made to assist and collaborate during emergencies. To this end, additional volunteers are recruited, on top of those working in everyday operations, whose main task is to provide assistance in emergency such as war or earthquake.
The COVID pandemic which caught the entire world by surprise, with no early information on its expected scope of infections and deaths, brought about a catastrophic situation in every field. ZAKA Tel Aviv provided assistance in handling those who died due to the pandemic. They were handled following a special procedure formulated by the Ministry of Health and the guidelines of the Ministry for Religious Services, which included washing at only four designated centers. This required the logistics of transporting the deceased to the washing center and from there to their place of burial. The work of ZAKA volunteers with those who died due to COVID, around the clock, saved the State of Israel from a complete collapse of its burial system. In some countries, deceased persons would wait three days or longer until a team arrived to cover the deceased and transport them for burial. In Israel everything continued to operate normally, with ZAKA transporting over three thousand deceased persons - an unprecedented feat in terms of burial companies. This proved the capabilities of the Organization as a national organization which bears the burden in times of emergency.
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Casualty Concentration Station
The operating concept of PESSAH - the authority tasked with evacuation, assistance, and casualties at the Ministry of Interior - requires setting up Casualty Concentration Stations (local CCS) at every municipality, operated under the municipality's responsibility with local staff to be trained, enlisted, and retained in emergencies.
Of all CCSs, 14 potential sites have been identified to serve as regional CCSs in different emergencies. Once an emergency occurs, up to 2 regional CCSs will be operated simultaneously (due to limited technical staff at Israel Police). At these sites, the scientific process of collecting identifying data from the casualties in order to identify them and bring them to burial.
In extreme cases (such as an earthquake), up to 4 cooled morgues will be set up (one per region) based on the same sites identified as potential regional CCSs. This will be on top of the activated regional CCSs.
Once a decision is made to activate the regional CCS, municipal CCSs will serve as Casualty Collection Stations.
Identifying casualties is highly important due to the involved Halacha aspects (widows, surviving relatives, inheritance, Agunah etc.).
ZAKA Tel Aviv volunteers operate and man the Casualty Concentration Stations in their respective regions in collaboration with the municipality, with the understanding that what works well in normal times will also work well in emergency.
Purpose of Municipal Casualty Concentration Stations:
A place for concentrating casualties in emergency prior to burial, where last identification procedures and preparation for burial are carried out.
Note: The municipal CCS is operated by the municipality according to the guidelines of the Superior Authority for Evacuation, Assistance, and Casualties (PESSAH).
The municipal CCS allows to identify casualties by personal identification based on Halacha criteria (up to 72 hours following the incident) and to bring them to burial.
Purpose of Regional Casualty Concentration Station:
A place for concentrating casualties in emergency before burial, where a technical (scientific) procedure to collect identifying data from casualties is carried out, in collaboration with Israel Police and the National Institute for Forensic Medicine.
The regional CCS is operated by the municipality according to the guidelines of the Superior Authority for Evacuation, Assistance, and Casualties (PESSAH).
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Emergency Burial
In emergency, casualties will be buried in existing cemeteries. A decision to bury casualties in temporary cemeteries for unidentified casualties (after samples for identification are collected at Casualty Concentration Stations) will be made by consultation between the Ministry for Religious Services, Halacha officials, and Israel Police.
The Ministry for Religious Services is responsible for all emergency burial operations. ZAKA Tel Aviv is ready to assist with volunteers for burial at existing cemeteries, as well as with operating temporary cemeteries based on emergency contingency plans which we all pray will never be implemented.