Haifa went from red to green with the Home Front Command A special interview with Major Lior Buxboim for the conclusion of the "Always Green Mountain" operation

Summary of the "Always Green Mountain" operation in Haifa

Major Lior Buxbaum, head of the population branch of the Haifa district, tells Lahi Fa about the 11 intense days that the soldiers of the Home Front Command spent in Haifa - an operation at the end of which the city went from red to green.
Lior's role is to prepare the civil space in an emergency and establish contact between all the emergency organizations and the government offices.

The promotion started on October 5 and ended on October 15. A number of military bodies were involved in the operation, among them: the Haifa District, under the command of Col. Elad Adri and the Rescue and Training Brigade (the front division of the Home Front Command) under the command of Col. Shlomi Ben Mocha.

Lior, 11 days of a combined military-urban operation?

Yesterday we finished a large and integrated operation between the Haifa Municipality, the Haifa District and the Home Front Command. The goal was to move Haifa from a red city to a green city. Prepare for this morning - the city of Haifa switched from red to green and was declared a green authority according to the traffic light model. Even so, the task is not yet fully completed. There is still a way to go until the complete eradication of the disease in the city.

Tell us about the local leadership you met in Haifa on the ground and what kind of change took place here with your help

The significant change is the leadership of local leaders from diverse populations. We helped them become stronger in taking personal responsibility as well as in the mutual guarantee, which they instill in the public around them.

How did you harness public opinion leaders?

We physically reached each and every neighborhood, for example Ramat Vizhnitz and Neve Shanan, where there is a concentration of the ultra-Orthodox population. We met with the rabbis, we met with imams from the Arab community, we met with teenagers. We explained to them our insights and lessons about the situation, we presented them with data. We discussed a correct outline of prayers.
In the meetings, we made joint situation assessments with the community leaders and issued summaries and tasks to be carried out in the field, in each and every neighborhood. We went on joint tours with the opinion leaders in the neighborhoods to the field - soldiers and civilians, shoulder to shoulder. Together, we distributed flyers, talked to people in population centers and on the streets. Our main goal is to raise awareness and implement actions such as social distancing and wearing a mask.

What reactions did you receive from the Haifa public?

We met cheering, listening, cooperation. Adults and teenagers approached us with requests to volunteer and show presence on the streets. The feeling is of full cooperation, end to end and taking personal responsibility, by everyone we met, without exception.

What about volunteer activity and the volunteer patrol, the Corona loyalists, that was established?

The district welfare director, together with the volunteer coordinator, coordinated groups of volunteers who went out to sensitive places, such as old people's homes, housing complexes and neighborhoods where there are corona patients. We assisted in purchasing medicine and distributing food.

Together with the Haifa municipality, we established a municipal patrol of "Corona loyalists", who have undergone training. The patrol members patrol the neighborhoods and help raise the awareness of the population. They add eyes in the field and help monitor the area. They report to the Department of Emergency and Security Services on issues that require municipal care.

Where did you get the food for the needy?

We purchased the food from several sources:
• From the money of the patients themselves, who transferred money to the soldiers. These went out to the scribes, returned a receipt from the scribe and a surplus. This is according to an orderly procedure written by the IDF.
• "Soldiers" project - procurement carried out by the local authority from a budget that came from the Ministry of Defense and in accordance with the criteria defined for the teams. The teams pulled the food baskets and delivered it to those in need.
• Dry food packages that come from the Ministry of Defense. The process is managed by the Home Front Command and reaches the field. The boxes are distributed by soldiers and volunteers.
• Magen Zahav - a budget intended for the elderly population. This is a project that started on October 1 (about two weeks ago).

What changes did Haifa's emergency system undergo following the operation?

Haifa has a serious emergency system and there are officials with a significant background in emergency management. We came with a spirit of inspiration to this formation, with soldiers who also speak Arabic, Russian and Amharic.
We used a system called "Sho'ab Okata" (control and control). Morbidity data comes to this system from the Ministry of Health and is translated into information that enables control and control over the outbreak of the epidemic as well as decision-making.
The Home Front Command has created a computerized infrastructure for us that enables a focused picture of morbidity at the level of districts and neighborhoods. With this system, we were able to carry out targeted operations in the area by region and neighborhood. We went there and concentrated focused efforts in the right places.

Are there any changes that took place in the operation of the municipal departments following your arrival?

I think that we mainly strengthened the ability to cooperate between the departments in the municipality.
If in the past the welfare department worked as a more isolated and independent body, we worked to carry out a better integration regarding families and people who need assistance. The members of the welfare department contact the families in need of assistance and by sharing information to translate it into tasks, we were able to focus operative actions according to information coming from the welfare department.

A tour of the Welfare Department of the Haifa Municipality in Kiryat Haim (Photo: Yaron Karmi)

What about the number of tests?

We have established new free testing centers, where city residents come to be tested, without a doctor's referral. The centers continue to operate even after the end of the operation. This array will accompany the city's residents in the near future.

What management tools do you leave behind at the end of the operation, which allow the authority to continue to compete?

The most significant thing is the official assistance center, which we assisted in establishing its operating concept.
This is a KML that was established in the welfare department of the municipality. It is managed by Haifa's director of welfare - Meira Kiperman. In this KML there are about 20 people from different disciplines, who meet in one room, with a frequency of two integration meetings a day, create a unified picture of the situation and make decisions for the future the daily activity.
At the end of the meetings, a table of tasks coordinating the activity is published. Control and follow-up are carried out on this table, in order to ensure perfect execution of the tasks.

Who are the people manning the operation?

We carried out extensive reserve recruitment, but the main mass of the force are regular soldiers from the rescue and training brigade, who specialize in training missions. Warriors from our regular battalions also worked alongside them.
We have Arab soldiers, Druze, immigrants from Russia and Ethiopians. These soldiers assisted in the activity against communities.

In conclusion, what is your message to the Haifa people in the war against the corona virus?

This is one of the biggest deals I've been to recently. I want to praise the Haifa municipality, which led this operation with a strong desire to lead this city to become a green city.
The discipline of the public and the personal responsibility of the public are the ones that will make the difference in the future as well.
We, the Home Front Command, stand by you and wish that we will have good days.