Israeli Army to enhance civilian aid

The Israeli Army plans to establish two new rapid response search and rescue battalions to assist the civilian population, an Israeli military officer said. Brig. Gen. Tzviki Tessler, deputy commander of the Home Front command, told The Jerusalem Post the units will enhance the army's ability to assist civilians in the event of missile attacks in any future war. "This will allow us to give a balanced and effective response to the challenges ahead," Tessler said Monday, adding that soldiers recruited to the new battalions would start training to become certified firefighters. The new battalions will be mobile and deployed according to operational requirements. Tessler said plans are also under way to buy unmanned aerial vehicles that would be sent to survey and assess the damage in the event of a missile attack. Tests have been conducted on two lightweight UAV's that provide "under the clouds" surveillance, the Post said.