The Israel Fire and Rescue Service is a small agency that cannot truly counter extreme-case scenarios. Upgrading its status to a state-level defense organization would allow it the resources it needs to counter the challenges ahead.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Service is facing challenges that warrant upgrading its statues from a state agency to an organization that is part of the defense establishment, similar to the IDF and the Israel Police – an organization that can enlist soldiers into regular and career service and one that has the same financial backing from the government as the military and the police.
This issue was debated by the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee in 2013, shortly after when the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority Law was passed, but met with fierce opposition from the workers union, as such a designation would preclude firefighters' from going on strike.
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