About Yossi Ezrad

Yossi is the CEO of a communications company and lives with his wife and child in Kiryat Gat.  His reason for becoming an EMT is quite personal. Years ago, his father had needed immediate medical attention and no one present knew what to do.  As they waited over 20 minutes for an ambulance, the nervous son thought to himself, “we need to be able to reach people faster than this.” When he later heard about United Hatzalah, he knew that this was the solution and that he wanted to be a part of it.  At the first opportunity, he enrolled in a United Hatzalah EMT course and began volunteering. Today, as an active volunteer medic in the Kiryat Gat region, Yossi is pleased to give ill and injured people the rapid emergency response time that had eluded his father years ago.

One call that exemplifies Yossi’s desire to help people when they most need it was the time he received a call at 3:00 AM regarding a woman who was having chest pains.  Shaking off his weariness, Yossi raced to the address, arriving in mere minutes.  Upon entering the home, the woman told him that “I purposely contacted United Hatzalah since I do not have money for an ambulance. I don’t need an ambulance, but I do need someone to go to a drug store in order to purchase for me an expensive and strong medication for my heart condition.”  As a precaution, Yossi checked the woman’s vital signs and then, after clarifying with the United Hatzalah command center which pharmacy was open all night, he proceeded to the drug store to buy the medication.  Only after the woman had taken her pills and was feeling better, did the caring medic bid the woman a good night.  The woman profusely thanked Yossi for his rapid arrival and true act of kindness.

Yossi appreciated the gratitude but that’s not what makes him tick.  In the own words of this devoted volunteer, “For me volunteering means that I go out of my way to help every person no matter who they are or what their situation may be.”