Does every tour need a paramedic? No. 

What is the paramedic’s role? Who is entitled to fill the role of paramedic? You’ll find answers to these questions and more right here.

Ministry of Health and Israel Police guidelines require that all outings of more than 100 students must have a paramedic in attendance. 

Is a paramedic, or someone providing first aid, the same thing? No. It’s important to differentiate between first aid and paramedical assistance. Having someone in the tour group able to provide first aid is a requirement, irrelevant of the number of people in the group. A paramedic only becomes a necessity when the group comprises more than 100 students.

Another ss important difference is that the person providing first aid can also work as the tour’s security guard when suitably trained, but a paramedic cannot be the security guard.

In certain cases, a paramedic may be needed even if the group is less than 100 students but the risk of injury is higher. Examples are a hike set for more than 15 kilometers per day, or spread over several days, or when students are involved in challenge sports such as snappling, using zip lines, and similar extreme activities.

What qualifications does a paramedic have?   In Israel, several central organizations qualify paramedics. The first is the IDF: military paramedics can definitely serve as tour paramedics. The second organization is MDA (Magen David Adom). A person whose MDA training is less than two years old, or who took a refresher course, can serve as a tour paramedic. Additionally, anyone who has been trained for that role by an organization recognized by the Israel Ministry of Health can be the tour’s accompanying paramedic, since paramedics have knowledge of medications, preventative medical care, teamwork, working with physicians, and more.

Last but not least: the paramedic must make sure that if a student is injured, optimal care is provided.

Contact us for a skilled paramedic to accompany your challenge trip. We’ll be happy to assist.