José Donderis presents an award to Eli Beer, third from left, and members of United Hatzalah of Panama. Photo: Courtesy of United Hatzalah Panama.

JNS.org – United Hatzalah received an award from the Panama Homefront Command on Feb. 5, honoring the organization for providing lifesaving first-response assistance in the Central American country.

Jose Donderis, president of Panama’s National Protection & Civil Defense and Home Front Command, presented an award to United Hatzalah founder and president Eli Beer. The Chief Rabbi of Panama, Rabbi David Perets, was also on hand and gave a blessing to Donderis.

United Hatzalah is a volunteer-based, emergency medical services organization headquartered in Jerusalem. Founded in 2006, it is the largest independent, nonprofit and fully volunteer EMS organization in Israel, with more than 4000 emergency medical technicians, certified first responders, paramedics and doctors nationwide.

United Hatzalah’s international expansion began in 2015 with the establishment of branches in South America and other countries. The organization has trained volunteers in the United States, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Lithuania and India on how to begin providing emergency support to those in need within an average of three minutes.

Its Panama chapter opened in 2012 and boasts nearly 100 volunteer responders, including EMTs and paramedics.