Baltimore Jewish Life | Baltimore Volunteer Firefighter Jason Broth’s first-Hand Account of Local EVP Effort as Israel is Set on Fire (Photo Essay)

Posted on 12/05/16

Baltimore Volunteer Firefighter Jason Broth’s first-Hand Account of Local EVP Effort as Israel is Set on Fire (Photo Essay)

By: BJLife/Margie Pensak

Baltimore, MD - December 5, 2016 - Jason Broth posed the question, "With the current situation in Israel, I have been called to help fight the fires as soon as possible... can I travel on Shabbat?", his Rabbi's response was immediate. "It is 100% pekuach nefesh," he said, "So where is the question?" Jason knew, at that point, that he was going to be on the next flight out.

Israeli & American firefighters after testing the ladder truck -Jason Broth is in back row far right

Jason left the States on Friday, November 25, on the first available flight, after he and other members of an organization called EVP (Emergency Volunteer Project) were deployed. They returned once the operation was successful, six days later, on Thursday, December 1. He hadn’t been in Israel since 1990.

“I did not hesitate for even one second and neither did my wife,” shares Jason, who, besides being a firefighter, has been an EMT for 25 years. “I have a skill set that most people do not, and there was no question in my mind that I would be an asset on the ground. I am highly trained through the Baltimore County Fire Department as well as through EVP, and I knew that I could take those skills and help my brothers and sisters in Israel in a way in which most people cannot.”

Members of the EVP organization, which is based out of Israel, are American emergency first responders who have previously trained with Israeli first responders in both America and Israel; they assist Israel when necessary. A couple of years ago, Jason applied and was accepted as a candidate to work with EVP. He went through training with Israeli firefighter trainers and became a credentialed Israeli firefighter.

“EVP is in constant contact with the Israeli government,” explains Jason. “When the Israelis have a need for emergency reinforcement, they call. When the fires became so extensive in Israel last week that the Israeli government activated EVP, my unit was deployed for Operation Fire and Water.”

This is the second such emergency deployment to which EVP has responded. The first was for Operation Protective Edge in 2014, which was a medical deployment only.

Jason’s team was the first to land in Israel, fifteen minutes before Shabbos was over, at approximately 5 p.m. It was met at the airport by U.S. and Israeli military as well as representatives from EVP and the Israeli government.

“We were immediately put on a bus and taken to our new home, a fire station in Hertzliya, where we were promptly put to work as full-fledged firefighters,” recalls Jason. “For the first few days, we assisted in gaining control of and containing the fires that you saw in the news. We even spent a day stationed in Ofra on the West Bank, based on intelligence from the IDF that arsonists would be starting fires in that area. The intel turned out to be correct, and we were close enough to contain the fires relatively quickly.”

Fighting fires in a predominantly Hebrew-speaking country was not a barrier for Jason. “At least one of the Israeli firefighters on any piece of equipment could speak enough English to tell us what was going on. Once we arrived on location we knew how to proceed. So much of what we do as firefighters transcends verbal language.”

Jason said once the majority of the fires in Israel were contained, his team’s role shifted a bit. Since the Israeli firefighters had been working for days on end without relief before his team arrived, his team helped relieve those firefighters that had been working double and triple shifts so they could get some time off.

“We took their shifts and made up their crews,” says Jason. “Their jobs were our jobs. We started our day at 7 a.m. with a full equipment check, took care of the station duties, and ran calls as necessary. The only difference was that the Israelis got to go home after their 24-hour shift, and we kept going with the next shift at 7 a.m.”

There was a total of forty EVP member firefighters who were deployed from all across the United States, including cities such as Los Angeles, Tucson, Dallas, Detroit, New York, and Baltimore. Four responders came from the Baltimore area: Captain Scott H. Goldstein, Howie Cohen, and Jason, from the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company, in addition to Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Firefighter, Sholom Reches. Only seven of the forty firefighters were Jewish, and, of those, the only other Orthodox firefighters, besides Jason and Sholom, were Jerry Eizen from Detroit and Raphael Ziegler from Monsey.

The fire consumed more than 32,000 acres of forest and brush across Israel. Tens of thousands of Israelis fled their homes, and hundreds of homes and other buildings were burned to the ground.

“Dozens of people were injured in the wildfires, but, thank G-d, no one was killed,” confirms Jason. “If you have seen any pictures or video footage of those raging fires, you know just what a miracle that was.”

The only financial contribution the Baltimore firefighters had to make was the week's worth of income that they each had to give up and some supplementary gear that they had to purchase. They did not have to pay for the airfare, transports, food, or lodging.

“We were sponsored by The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore,” notes Jason. “They picked up our tab as soon as they were called and made it possible for our boots to be on the ground in under 24 hours of receiving the call from EVP. We cannot thank them enough for that.”

In general, EVP depends on donations from funding -- both large and small, says Jason. “We need the public's support to lend Israel this kind of assistance. If we have the financial support, we can maintain our training and have the necessary funds ready each time Israel truly needs us.”

Although Jason has been back four days, he admits it is still difficult to put into words what going to help his Israeli brothers and sisters means to him.

“It was just something that I knew I had to do, and I would do it again without hesitation,” concludes Jason. “The feeling that I was able to make such an impact on the lives of so many people in Israel is incredible. People keep saying that I am a hero for dropping everything and rushing off to fight fire in an area that is unfamiliar to me, but I do not feel that way. Israel is our homeland. She was in distress, and I was uniquely qualified to help. What kind of person would I be if I didn't?”

Information about EVP can be found and donations can be made at www.evp.org.il.