On October 7, 2023, Ramot was unprepared. On October 8, its residents began changing that.
Ramot is one of Israel's largest neighborhoods, home to more than 75,000 residents. Yet despite its size, Ramot has no local police station, no fire station, and no secured perimeter. Situated along Jerusalem's northern edge, near the Green Line and neighboring Palestinian villages, and bordered by extensive forested terrain, Ramot faces unique security and emergency response challenges. Its geography, open access points, and distance from emergency service stations make locally organized, rapid-response capabilities especially important.
On October 7, 2023, as Israel faced unprecedented terrorist invasion and the threat of widespread rocket and missile strikes, a troubling reality became clear: Ramot had no organized civilian security response team (Kitat Konenut), no coordinated volunteer security apparatus, and no dedicated local search and rescue unit prepared to respond to missile impacts, building collapses, or other large-scale disasters.
On October 8, 2023, Betuchim BiRamot was founded by a group of Ramot residents with backgrounds in policing, emergency medicine, crisis management, and public safety. They understood both the dangers facing their neighborhood and the extraordinary potential of a community willing to take responsibility for its own protection.
Their vision was simple: bring together the experience of emergency professionals, the dedication of local volunteers, and the strength of a united community to build the emergency response capabilities Ramot urgently needed.
Today, Betuchim BiRamot has grown into a multidisciplinary emergency response organization with more than 100 dedicated volunteers. Together, our founders and volunteers bring hundreds of years of combined experience in policing, firefighting, emergency medical services, and emergency management.
This wealth of experience is one of our greatest strengths. It allows us to combine the commitment and availability of local residents with the knowledge, training, and operational discipline of experienced emergency responders.
Our specialized teams provide community security, armed emergency response, observation, firefighting, urban search and rescue, drone operations, emergency coordination, and logistical support.
Our volunteers are parents, neighbors, professionals, and community members who have chosen to take extraordinary responsibility. They give their time, develop specialized skills, train together, and stand ready to respond when lives are at risk.
Working closely with the Israel Police, IDF Home Front Command, Jerusalem Municipality, and local community administrations, Betuchim BiRamot strengthens official emergency response capabilities with trained, equipped volunteers who are already on the ground. Our Urban Search and Rescue unit extends this commitment beyond Ramot, serving communities throughout Jerusalem.