In the face of mounting security challenges, Israeli society is demonstrating its remarkable ability to adapt and respond swiftly. After recent terror incidents sent shockwaves through the nation, communities across Israel have taken matters into their own hands, forming rapid response teams to ensure their safety. At the heart of this response is the Synch PTT app replacing old radio devices. Synch is a revolutionary tool that has gone viral, empowering these teams to act with unprecedented effectiveness
On October 7th, Israel was jolted by a coordinated assault as thousands of well-trained Hamas terrorists infiltrated border bases and about 20 nearby villages. Their mission was terrorising and killing civilians, including women, children, and infants. Families sought refuge in shelters as their homes were set on fire, leading to harrowing scenes.
Tragically, around 1,400 people lost their lives, with 200 missing and over 200 declared hostages in Gaza. The nation grapples with a slow response at all levels, from state strategy to military deployment for civilian defence. Civilians stood alone on the front lines, prompting the rapid formation of citizen-based defence units. These brave volunteers, armed and ready, faced a well-trained enemy with extraordinary courage.
Ynet’s journalist Matan Tzuri examines the courage of these defence units. From the article: In Zikim, one such unit repelled RPG attacks and infiltrations into the settlement. In Kibbutz Netiv Haasara, infiltrators breached the perimeter with paragliders, and the small village’s defence unit was the first to confront them, but 21 people were killed.
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai successfully evacuated infiltrators from the kibbutz and rescued its residents. In Erez and Nir-Am, the civilian defence units efficiently dispersed and fought with great bravery.
The recent ordeal in Israel underscores a vital lesson: when it comes to combating terrorism, civilian-based defence units are the crucial first line of defence. In the midst of such crises, every passing moment carries immense significance, and even specialised counter-terrorism forces cannot replace the swift and localised response offered by skilled and equipped civilian volunteers.
In the span of just a few days, Israel’s civil defence landscape has undergone a profound transformation. Municipalities, villages, and kibbutzim have rapidly devised new systems built upon the dedication of volunteers. This grassroots approach extends to urban neighbourhoods as well, where rapid response teams have emerged, strengthening community resilience and demonstrating the enduring spirit of solidarity in the face of adversity. The result is a nation that has swiftly adapted to a new strategic direction, one anchored in the unwavering commitment of its citizens to safeguard their homeland.
In the wake of the tragic events that unfolded on Saturday, October 7th, requests for the utilisation of Synch came pouring in, heralding a transformative chapter in Israel’s response to crisis situations. Synch, with its sophisticated yet user friendly communication, command, and control system built on cellular networks and mobile phones, emerged as the ideal solution for the civilian defence units that swiftly formed.
Synch’s arsenal of features seemed custom-made for the challenges at hand, encompassing four vital functional areas:
- Synch empowers defence forces with “push to talk” (PTT) radio-style and video communication.
- It swiftly disseminates emergency alerts with sound alarms and text-to-speech PTT to a broad audience.
- Synch excels in event management and coordination on mobile devices and through its dispatch console.
- It offers secure written and multimedia communication (akin to popular platforms like WhatsApp)
In a remarkable move, Synch responded to the initial requests by offering its services free of charge to all civilian defence units in Israel during the ongoing conflict. We reached out to security coordinators we knew and encouraged them to share this offer with their counterparts, especially in border areas. The response was swift and impressive, with Synch quickly finding its way into all Gaza-adjacent villages and spreading to communities further from the border. This rapid adoption of Synch highlights the effectiveness of local networks in times of crisis.
Subsequently, a handful of Synch’s employees took to social media and shared the invitation, sparking a viral wave of interest. The response was nothing short of remarkable, with hundreds of inquiries flooding in from municipalities, kibbutzim, and moshavim across the nation, all eager to establish their own civilian defence units. Synch’s appeal was bolstered by the fact that it’s a ready-to-use product, already in the hands of tens of thousands of users. Its exceptional user-friendliness also played a pivotal role in its swift adoption. With the capacity to be installed on both Android and iPhone devices, it seamlessly accommodated the diverse array of phones used by civilian teams.
Moreover, its ease of use meant that implementation and training for these teams were swift and straightforward. In fact, just a couple of one-minute instructional videos contained the bulk of the information required for unit members to effectively utilise the product. This simplicity is undoubtedly a game-changer in ensuring the rapid and effective deployment of Synch in communities across Israel.
Few of the responses we got:
“Kibbutz Alumot and the emergency team remove their hats; the system is operational, and it’s a fantastic solution for coordinating the team in emergency situations. We are deeply grateful to synch and their team for their tremendous help. You are always welcome to our beautiful community”.
“The app is truly excellent; it can be the difference between chaos and control. Thank you.”
“The app works excellently; the idea to listen to the broadcaster in the recording is genius. It’s easy to operate (even for those less tech-savvy). I have no words to express my gratitude.”
Within a few days, hundreds of municipalities and villages joined. Hundreds of teams, and thousands of new volunteers from all over Israel joined Synch to create a local, community-based response.
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