As a lesson learned from the 7th of October about the essential need to provide an initial response in the defense and security of settlements from terrorist threats, the Ministry of National Security and the Israel Police established, in an accelerated process, about eight hundred new emergency squads of volunteers, in the regional councils and cities throughout the country.
The mission of the emerhency squads is to serve as an operational reserve force, available for quick activation in order to assist the police forces in the various security incidents and emergency situations. To be a security force and as much as fighting is required, in settlements near a fence against infiltration attempts and terrorism. Locating and training the volunteers is done according to a model compiled using an organized database jointly led by the Ministry of National Security and the Israel Police. Thousands of police volunteers who will be recruited will be provided with training, personal weapons and combat support equipment for operational needs.
Until the outbreak of the 'Swords of Iron' incidents, the Israel Police, through the Border Police, activated a volunteer array in 83 standby classes in the countryside and in 6 cities across the country (at the same time, volunteer arrays were activated in settlements near the border with a high security risk by the IDF), and now over 800 emergency squads are deployed all over the country. This move was made in accordance with the security events, the attribution scenarios and the policy of the Minister of National Security MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Police Commissioner Chief Superintendent Yaakov Shabtai.
The members of the emergency squads operate within the Israel Police, under the command of the police stations in an orderly and organized manner, have been trained and authorized for the defined task, and have been approved for activity in accordance with the criteria established in the procedures of the Israel Police Department of Volunteers. The squads operate with permission and authority in a defined mission under the supervision and control of the station commanders in the sector of activity and carry out their mission - to protect the homeland.
