IsraelSeen Exclusive – Stopping The Bleed Twice in a Day
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Niv Hershko, who brings with him 12 years of experience as an EMT and first responder, is now a new ambucycle driver that rushes out to medical emergencies in his vicinity at any time of day or night to help those in need. Additionally, Niv works as an automotive electrician at a local garage and is recently married.
Two weeks ago, Niv pulled over to refuel at a gas station in Hod Hasharon when his radio suddenly sounded, alerting him to a serious motor vehicle collision nearby in which a police car had collided with a private vehicle, resulting in numerous people injured. Niv quickly put the nozzle back in the dispenser, hopped on his ambucycle and flicked on the sirens. He raced through the intersection and sped to the location, arriving within a few short minutes.
Both vehicles were badly damaged in the collision. Just as Niv pulled up to the scene, he saw two wounded police officers making their way out of the wreckage. A fellow United Hatzalah ambucycle medic joined Niv at the scene and together they provided initial treatment and triage for the officers and the wounded motorist from the other vehicle. A few minutes later, the ambulances began to arrive and Niv assisted in facilitating emergency medical transport.
Later that day, Niv was visiting his mother in Petah Tikvah, together with a dear family friend who also happens to be a United Hatzalah volunteer. The visit was soon cut short by yet another alert from United Hatzalah headquarters. A young man had kicked through a glass door and was now suffering massive arterial bleeding from his left leg. With a quick apology, Niv excused himself and dashed back outside to his ambucycle. In the fastest time possible, the volunteer EMT arrived on location to treat the injured man.
He found the 30-year-old victim at some distance from the scene, suffering potentially fatal blood loss. Niv quickly applied a field tourniquet to stem the dangerous hemorrhaging, as another arriving medic attached an IV for rapid access to restorative fluids. The patient was stabilized, transferred to a backboard and loaded into an arriving ambulance for immediate evacuation to the trauma center.
Niv’s timely lifesaving intervention is what helped these people in the minutes that mattered the most.
