Paramedics teach 95% of North American security leaders to act in first minutes

95% of North American community security programs were represented at a recent summit where paramedics from Israel's national rescue service, Magen David Adom (MDA), instructed security professionals on immediate life-saving techniques. The session marked the first time MDA trained the Security Director Network, a group of directors who oversee protection operations for Jewish federations across the continent.

The training was delivered during the annual Security Summit hosted by the Secure Community Network (SCN), a safety organization for the North American Jewish community. The event followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed between SCN and American Friends of MDA (AFMDA). This agreement formalized a partnership to bring MDA's emergency response expertise to Jewish communities in the region.

The curriculum combined classroom instruction with hands-on practice. Participants engaged in train-the-trainer breakouts focused on scene assessment, severe bleeding control, triage, and response coordination. These skills are designed to stabilize victims during the critical window before professional ambulance crews arrive.

Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of MDA, emphasized the practical necessity of these early actions. "Israelis have learned something the hard way: the minutes before the ambulance arrives belong to whoever is already standing there," she said. Raphael Herbst, Deputy Director of International Relations at MDA, noted that knowledge and confidence can preserve life in mass casualty incidents if bystanders act quickly.

SCN National Director and CEO Masters described the initiative as a pilot that pairs Israeli frontline experience with SCN's national reach. "We are thrilled to launch this pilot with MDA, whose emergency responders bring decades of frontline experience," Masters said. The organization plans to hold joint trainings for community members in select locations over the coming months. The pilot incorporates MDA protocols for scene assessment and bleeding control, which complement SCN's existing Stop the Bleed program.

The initiative aims to prepare security directors to deliver the MDA course in more than 550 communities and key centers of Jewish life, including summer camps and university campuses. Daniel Kochavi, Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at AFMDA, stated that Israel's experience in responding to sudden mass casualty events can now help protect communities thousands of miles away. "Our hope is that they never need to use this training, but if they do, they'll be ready," he added.

This new training expands SCN's existing catalog of security resources. The current offerings include BeAware for situational awareness, Countering Active Threat Training, and Stop The Bleed. The catalog also features advanced courses in de-escalation, digital safety, and the Guardian program, which trains community members to identify and respond to threats.

The partnership forms part of a wider expansion in protective measures by SCN. The organization recently launched 'Standing with Strength: Stories of Survival,' an oral history project preserving firsthand accounts from survivors of antisemitic terror attacks in locations such as Pittsburgh, Poway, Colleyville, Overland Park, and Surfside. SCN operates a 24/7 Jewish Security Operations Command Center to counter an elevated threat environment and secure Jewish community spaces nationwide.