Hatzalah of Houston Adds a High-Water Rescue Vehicle and Swift-Water Training
The volunteer Jewish emergency response group put a 16,000-pound former military truck into service and sent six members to earn swift-water technician certification.
Hatzalah of Houston is a volunteer, community-based first-responder organization that provides emergency medical help across the city. In a region where a heavy storm can cut neighborhoods off within hours, the group decided it needed to be able to reach people when the streets turn into rivers.
As the Jewish Herald-Voice reported, Hatzalah of Houston did two things to get there. It added a dedicated high-water rescue vehicle, and it trained its people to work safely in moving water.
A Truck Built for Floodwater
The new vehicle is an LMTV M1078, a former military truck weighing about 16,000 pounds with tires nearly four feet tall. Its height and solid-steel build let it push through flooded roads that would stall an ambulance. Hatzalah had it customized with emergency equipment and marked with the organization's logo.
Training to Match
A high-water vehicle only helps if the crew knows how to handle moving water. Six Hatzalah of Houston members spent about a week in the Austin area training and earning certification as swift-water technicians. That gives the group trained rescuers who can work alongside the truck when a flood hits.
Why Training Comes First
Houston's history of flooding, from Hurricane Harvey on, has shown how quickly professional and volunteer responders alike can end up in dangerous water. Swift-water certification teaches them to read current, avoid entrapment and carry out rescues without becoming victims themselves.
That's the training Fathom Tanks was built to support. Our indoor tanks let responders rehearse flood rescues in realistic current, rain and darkness, with a quick shut-off and clean water, so teams like Hatzalah of Houston can arrive prepared.