[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22881]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    AMERICA CAN LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF ZAKA SEARCH AND RESCUE

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                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 2008

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, in the aftermath of September 
11th, we have made huge strides in expanding and updating our Nation's 
emergency preparedness and response capabilities. As a whole, our 
communities are better prepared than ever before. However, like with 
everything else, more can be done and we cannot lull ourselves into 
believing that we have all the answers; especially considering that we 
do not know what the next terrorist attack may look like. The old 
military adage is that you go into the next war with your army prepared 
for the last war; and I believe that philosophy applies to our Nation's 
emergency response system. I believe that our first responders have 
worked hard to anticipate and train for a future crisis but what will 
we do if those experts become the victims? It is not hard to imagine a 
scenario where terrorists attack police, firefighters and other 
emergency responders in order to sow more chaos and confusion. If our 
frontline responders go down are others prepared to step up and handle 
the crisis?
  I believe that we should look to the efforts of ZAKA Rescue and 
Recovery, an Israeli volunteer organization dedicated to helping 
victims of terrorist attacks, accidents or natural disasters for 
guidance. I think we can all agree that the threat of terrorist attacks 
and missile strikes are an everyday worry for the people of Israel; and 
ZAKA volunteers are often the first to arrive on the scene when tragedy 
strikes working seamlessly with Israel's police and emergency 
responders. At the core of ZAKA's mission is the belief in the 
preservation of human dignity when disaster strikes. ZAKA volunteers 
provide first aid and rescue services, aid in the identification of the 
victims of terrorism, accidents and other disasters, and where 
necessary ensure that the deceased receive a proper Jewish burial. ZAKA 
first aid materials and supplies and volunteers are prepositioned in 
practically every Israeli community; along with special motor scooters 
ready to take them to the scene of any accident or terrorist attack day 
or night.
  ZAKA has gained international recognition by expanding their rescue 
and recovery work around the world to include the United States. In the 
aftermath of the deadly Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004, 
ZAKA teams were on the ground and worked side-by-side with the host 
nations and other international rescue and recovery teams to help 
identify victims. ZAKA has also helped return victims of plane crashes 
in Russia and Namibia as well as help rescue and preserve sacred Jewish 
Torahs in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Last year alone, ZAKA 
volunteers participated in more than 18,000 life-saving or search-and-
rescue incidents, and I believe that ZAKA has a level of emergency 
preparedness and response expertise that we here in the United States 
could benefit from. That's why I truly believe America's first 
responders and our communities could benefit from ZAKA's expertise and 
vice versa. ZAKA's dedication to ``saving those who can be saved, and 
honoring those who cannot'' should be commended and I am proud to stand 
up and recognize their good works.
  Our Nation's first responders are dedicated and, in my opinion, the 
best in the business. I commend all of America's first responders and 
the countless volunteer organizations who came to the rescue of their 
fellow citizens following September 11th, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and 
Ike, and who joined in the international relief efforts to aid the 
victims of the 2004 tsunami. Simply put, international relief 
organizations, like ZAKA and the Red Cross, are critical backstop 
players in search-and-rescue and recovery efforts, and I hope my 
colleagues will take the opportunity to research and learn about ZAKA's 
story and capabilities.

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