For the past two and a half years, since the outbreak of the current wave of Palestinian violence, the Fire and Rescue Services have been on the front line in the war against terror, providing the initial response to all terror incidents with the role of extinguishing fires, rescuing victims from the wreckages of buses, cafes and restaurants after terrorist bomb attacks. Over the last two and a half years, 50% of the activities of this organisation have involved rescue and evacuation operations related to hostilities.
Furthermore, the Home Front Command has given the Fire and Rescue Services an additional responsibility within the framework of Israeli society's preparations for the possibility of an Iraqi attack (or an attack by a terrorist organization working in cooperation with Iraq). In the event of an attack with non-conventional weapons, they will have the function of locating the contaminated area, providing initial information about the whereabouts and nature of the toxic substance and neutralizing it, using the means available to them. Full details of these and other activities of the Fire and Rescue Services can be found below.