Maximizing volunteers in emergency medical services: The experience of Israel’s Magen David Adom

Emergency medical services (EMS) throughout the world utilize volunteers. Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's EMS organization and an official member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has incorporated these volunteer roles on a national level and significantly expanded upon them for pandemic and disaster response. In addition to traditional ambulance-based volunteers, MDA utilizes automobile-based on-call volunteers, motorcycle on-call volunteers, international volunteers, youth volunteers, and volunteers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. They are also integrated into the national disaster response team. As a national organization, MDA is responsible for coordinating EMS members throughout Israel, which allows for the successful integration of the various types of volunteers into its emergency response. This model can be integrated into EMS systems throughout the world during routine times as well as for multicausality incidents, pandemics, and disasters.