Enhancing Israel’s Rescue Capabilities

Living in Israel in 2024, one cannot help but ponder the consequences of missile attacks on cities and the equipment needed for rescue operations. One understands the importance of swift rescue from collapsed structures.

Israel has a reputation for expertise in this type of rescue operation. Yet, observing the equipment used at construction sites in Haifa and Tel Aviv, I wonder whether the overall inventory of commercial heavy machinery in Israel is as optimal for these critical tasks nationally as possible. This short essay aims to encourage faster adoption of the most updated equipment, accelerating an improvement in the construction sector that will naturally occur as equipment ages and is replaced over time.

While the immediate concerns of war are pressing, the enduring threat of earthquakes in this region underscores the necessity of a long-term commitment to efficient rescue operations. Incremental improvement may save lives and ensure our continuity during disasters.

Tilt-rotator excavators are among the most effective tools for moving earth and debris in the confined spaces that one is likely to encounter in cities. With their 360-degree rotation and enhanced tilt, these attachments increase the versatility of existing earthmoving and demolition equipment. By enabling the operator to tilt and rotate a bucket, digging, or grappling tool, productivity increases, allowing a single machine to perform a broader range of tasks than conventional equipment. To fully grasp the capabilities of these machines, I recommend readers view online videos demonstrating tilt-rotator construction equipment.

As a businessman, lawyer, and farmer, now a graduate student at the University of Haifa, I am thinking about pragmatic steps that we, as a community, can take to make Israel more resilient in the face of all challenges. When adequately facilitated, the business community can bolster society’s resilience during emergencies.

From personal experience operating a compact John Deere 3032e tractor on my farm in the United States, I know well the time consumed to reposition the tractor to align its bucket with a truck bed during loading tasks. This repetitive task can become arduous on disturbed ground, increasing the risk of error. Tilt-rotator implements can minimize the need to reposition equipment during such work. Having also hired heavy equipment operators for agricultural excavation, earth-moving, and demolition projects, I saw how they could have saved time and cost with tilt-rotator equipment. My anecdotal observations are confirmed by industry reports indicating that a tilt-rotator attachment on an excavator can increase the operator’s efficiency by 20-35%, reducing the time needed for tasks and minimizing the number of machines and operators required on-site—an invaluable benefit during crises. The initial investment in tilt-rotator excavators can be offset by their long-term cost savings and increased productivity. However, the social goal is of paramount concern; the more efficiently our nationwide stock of privately operated construction equipment functions, the faster we can rescue people.

I wish to highlight a qualitative issue without exaggerating. Tilt-rotator excavators allow operators to work precisely in the sort of confined spaces we will likely encounter after a major disaster. This precision is crucial for avoiding further damage to collapsed structures and preventing injury to survivors. The ability to handle such delicate tasks without causing additional harm to structures or people adds to the broader economic benefits of this updated equipment.

While tilt-rotator excavators provide versatility and precision, bulldozers like the Caterpillar D9, adapted for military operations, remain essential for clearing large volumes of rubble. Tilt-rotator implements on commercial equipment complement this existing machinery.

In 2022, the Finance Ministry removed import tariffs on such construction equipment to help reduce the cost of building new residences. In that spirit, I suggest three additional measures to enhance Israel’s commercial heavy equipment fleet without unduly burdening the state budget:

 (1) Consider a narrow and time-limited suspension of VAT on purchase and lease payments of qualified tilt-rotator equipment.

(2) Allow accelerated depreciation of this equipment category to account, in advance, for its future additional use in emergencies outside normal business activities.

(3) Suspend VAT on installation and repair services while businesses adopt the new tilt-rotator equipment.

The intention is not to favor one particular commercial technology or industry over others but to remove barriers to adopting equipment that advances a combined social, public safety, and national security goal as rapidly as feasible in light of foreseeable dangers. Encouraging investment in these industrial tools will make the Israeli construction industry more efficient and enhance our capacity to recover from disruptive events.