Racing Toward the Impact: Paramedic Yedidya Meir Responds to Missile Strike in Holon
During the recent rocket attacks on Israel, Magen David Adom paramedic Yedidya Meir (28) from Rehovot, who has volunteered with MDA since 2014 and is currently serving with MDA as part of his reserve duty, was dispatched from the MDA station in Rishon LeZion to a missile impact scene in Holon. Together with his team, Meir treated eight people at the scene, two of them suffering from smoke inhalation and most of the others from anxiety.
Meir and his team were on high alert at the MDA station in Rishon LeZion when the rocket siren sounded. “We are on standby 24/7 at the station,” Meir explained. “When the siren sounded, we were already preparing for the possibility of an incident. As soon as we received confirmation of the location, we left immediately.”
Upon arriving at the scene in Holon, Meir’s team joined other emergency forces that were already operating there, including the police and Home Front Command.
“The first thing I thought when we arrived was that we needed to understand what type of incident we were dealing with,” Meir said. “Was there a structural collapse? Was there a fire? Were there casualties, and where were they located?”
MDA teams began providing medical care immediately upon arrival, while assessing the scene and locating casualties. “In total, we treated eight people,” Meir said. “Two were treated for smoke inhalation, and most of the others were suffering from anxiety.”
Meir explains that treating anxiety cases requires a different approach than treating physical injuries. “When someone is experiencing anxiety, our goal is to help restore their sense of control,” he explained. “Anxiety often comes from feeling helpless in a situation that is complex and difficult to understand.”
Part of the job of the paramedics is to help patients regain their orientation and a sense of safety. “We help them understand where they are, what they can do to help themselves, and where the people and things important to them are,” Meir said. “Once a person regains that sense of control, they can begin to calm down.”
However, responding to incidents during ongoing rocket attacks presents unique challenges for MDA’s emergency teams. “There is always uncertainty,” Meir said. “We never know exactly what we will encounter, how large the incident will be, or what kind of injuries we will find.”
Despite the constant uncertainty, Meir says teamwork remains the most important factor in managing complex emergency scenes.
“What stays with me most is the importance of teamwork,” he said. “Understanding each team member’s role and working together is essential in situations like this.”
