The Israel Fire and Rescue Service is facing challenges that warrant upgrading its statues from a state agency to an organization that is part of the defense establishment, similar to the IDF and the Israel Police – an organization that can enlist soldiers into regular and career service and one that has the same financial backing from the government as the military and the police.
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This issue was debated by the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee in 2013, shortly after when the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority Law was passed, but met with fierce opposition from the workers union, as such a designation would preclude firefighters' from going on strike.
However, given the challenge the Fire and Rescue Service deals with – arson terrorism from the Gaza Strip, rescue missions in residential areas hit by missiles, and hazardous materials leaks, the time has come to make the national fire service a full-fledged defense organization.
Currently, the Fire and Rescue Service is equipped to deal with routine events. It can mobilize units to reinforce firefighters in a single event, but in an emergency situation, it will not be able to meet the challenges posed by simultaneous fronts, including issues that are the results of global warming, earthquakes, or an all-out war.
Over the next five years, the Fire and Rescue Service must be given the resources to open 30 additional fire stations, significantly upgrade its equipment, recruit hundreds of new firefighters, and gear up to deal with natural disasters.
The IFRS is a small agency that cannot truly counter extreme-case scenarios. Upgrading its status to a state-level defense organization would allow it to develop reserve contingents it would be able to call upon if need be. The Public Security Ministry must approve a multi-year work plan that includes such resources.
As for aerial firefighting, the IFRS has these abilities but it still has to reach deals with countries that are no more than a three-hour flight from Israel - Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia – as they can send reinforcements quickly.
International firefighting exercises must also be held, in cooperation with the Air Force. Given recent events, anyone in their right mind understands that Israel will have no choice but to act in this direction in the near future.
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