MDA Trains North American Security Chiefs in First 7 Minutes Protocol

Israeli paramedics from Magen David Adom (MDA) stepped into the role of instructor at the Secure Community Network's annual Security Summit, teaching emergency response techniques to the top security officials of North American Jewish communities. The session marked the first time the Security Director Network received the organization's cornerstone 'First 7 Minutes' training, a move that formalizes a new operational link between Israeli emergency responders and North American community protectors.

The collaboration follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Secure Community Network (SCN) and American Friends of MDA. The agreement establishes a framework for delivering MDA's emergency expertise to Jewish communities across the continent. At the summit, security directors responsible for standards-based protection operations in federations and national organizations participated in a pilot program that combined classroom theory with hands-on practice.

The curriculum focused on skills critical to the early stages of a mass casualty incident. Participants covered scene assessment, severe bleeding control, triage, and response coordination. Breakout sessions allowed experienced directors to learn how to teach the material themselves, creating a train-the-trainer model intended to spread the knowledge rapidly.

Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of MDA, emphasized the practical reality of emergency response in her comments to the group. 'Israelis have learned something the hard way: the minutes before the ambulance arrives belong to whoever is already standing there,' she said. Raphael Herbst, MDA's Deputy Director of International Relations, echoed the sentiment, noting that people at the scene can preserve life if they possess the confidence to act in the critical first minutes.

Michael Masters, SCN National Director and CEO, described the event as the launch of a pilot that leverages MDA's frontline experience. 'We are thrilled to launch this pilot with MDA,' Masters said. He noted that security professionals representing 95% of North American community security programs were present for the training. The pilot incorporates MDA protocols for bleeding control and scene assessment, which will complement SCN's existing Stop the Bleed program.

The initiative is designed to prepare security directors to deliver the MDA course in more than 550 communities and key centers of Jewish life, including summer camps and university campuses. Daniel Kochavi, Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at American Friends of MDA, stated that Israel's experience responding to mass casualty events can now help protect communities thousands of miles away. He added that the hope is the training is never needed, but if it is, the responders will be ready.

Joint trainings for community members are scheduled in select communities over the coming months. The new program expands SCN's existing security resource catalog, which already includes BeAware situational awareness training, Countering Active Threat Training, and the Guardian program. These offerings are designed to protect synagogues, schools, and other institutions across the region.

The effort coincides with SCN's recent launch of 'Standing with Strength: Stories of Survival,' an oral history project. The project preserves firsthand accounts from survivors of antisemitic terror attacks in Pittsburgh, Poway, Colleyville, Overland Park, and Surfside. SCN integrates these testimonies into its educational programs while operating a 24/7 Jewish Security Operations Command Center to monitor the threat environment and secure community spaces.