Shimon Romach has been a member of the emergency services industry for more than 30 years. He has been security commander for Israel's El Al airline and a lieutenant general with the Anti-Terror Intelligence Section of the Israel Armed Forces, and has served as the high commander in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon. Currently, Romach is commissioner of Israel Fire and Rescue Services.

While visiting Chicago earlier this year, Romach shared his impressions of the U.S. fire service and contrasted the role of first responders here with those in his home country.

What is your impression of Chicago's emergency service capability?

I am very impressed with the Chicago Fire Department. One of the specific things I have seen that is most impressive is the city's [911 call center and] control room for emergencies. It is very advanced, and compared to others I've seen it is most impressive and unique.

Another thing that has impressed me is the equipment. The Chicago Fire Department has very good equipment, much better than that of the Israeli fire services. I envy them.

Also, I've noticed your emphasis on public-safety education. The programs for educating children relative to fire safety are amazing and very impressive. This is something we don't have in Israel. It was very interesting for me to see. Now I am going to have to go back to Israel and see if we can address the subject.

How would you compare Israeli fire and rescue operations with those of their U.S. counterparts?

There is something very important you must understand at the outset. In Chicago alone, the population is 2.8 million, and you have 4,200 firefighters. That means there is a firefighter for every 700 people. Israel has a population of about 7 million, but little more than 1,100 firefighters — there is only one firefighter for every 6,500 people, and there are fewer than 100 fire stations in Israel. This is a major difference between the fire service in Israel and in the United States.

Because of that, our firefighters must have more training; they must be very versatile and capable of doing all jobs. They must respond to hazmat incidents and to car accidents; they have to be able to operate radios, pumps and a range of equipment; they have to be to perform as members of search teams and much more. And, of course, they must respond to acts of terrorism. All this is reflected in our training system.

Let me give you an example. It has been explained to me that here in Chicago, when someone is hired as a firefighter, he or she has to go through three months of EMS training and six months of firefighting training. In Israel, it is much different. First of all, firefighting and EMS are separate agencies. But to become a firefighter, a person first has to take a two-week course and then work in a supportive job in the fire service for the next six to 12 months, not supporting firefighters, but supporting people who provide support to firefighters! After that period, the individual attends a basic firefighting training course that lasts eight weeks: five days training from 6 a.m. to midnight. The training is taught both in classroom and in hands-on sessions. Two years after receiving the basic firefighting training, each individual has to take an advanced course of training over an eight-month period.

Another big difference between the United States and Israel is regarding command team courses. Here in the U.S., to become an officer, you just have to pass an exam. In Israel, you first must have been in the fire service for eight years. You then have a 19-week course to take, but you have to pass an exam just to be accepted to the course. During the course you have to take tests and exams. When you finally are ranked as an officer, you will have been through a long, long training course.

What about volunteer fire service in Israel?

We don't have any regular departments that have only volunteer firefighters. What we have are volunteers within the different fire departments, and we have two different types of volunteers. In the very remote areas, we have volunteer firefighters. They are equipped with older apparatus and in their geographical areas they fill the role as first responders until the professional firefighters can get to the scene. The other kind of volunteer we have are 1,200 Fire Scouts. These are 15- to 18-year-old kids. They put in at least six hours a week helping at different fire stations. When they are older, they serve in the army, and after that service, many choose the fire service as a career.

Any advice for U.S. fire chiefs?

I would strongly recommend American fire chiefs prepare to respond to acts of terrorism. I make that recommendation because such response is my field of expertise. Acts of terrorism are striking everywhere. The question is not “if,” it is “when?”