Delivering IFAKs to Soldiers: An Interview with Tzachi's CEO

Many of us participate in the war effort by donating supplies, but few of us have the opportunity to make the deliveries ourselves. For those curious as to what that side of the operation may be like, I did a sit-down with the founder and CEO of Tzachi, Sammy Zemel. Coffee in hand, we spoke about the latest delivery he had made with Tzachi.

Gabe: How did you decide where to deliver the IFAKs?

Sammy: Two weeks before the delivery, I was on tour with my reservist unit in Judea and Samaria. While there, I saw how embedded Hamas is in the area and realized how vulnerable the Israelis were to terrorism. During my tour, which wasn’t even very long, a shooting occurred that killed an Israeli sitting on a bench. After the incident, it hit me how vital it is to equip as many people as possible in the area with first-aid capabilities. After being released from reserves, I returned with Team Tzachi and a car full of IFAKs.

Gabe: How did the soldiers react to Tzachi's delivery?

Sammy: The soldiers were grateful and relieved to receive their personal IFAKs. They told us stories from other units of situations where there wasn’t enough first-aid equipment, and because of that, the loss of limbs and excessive blood loss were very common. There was a sense of safety from our delivery.

Gabe: Were there any notable interactions you had while delivering the IFAKs?

Sammy: During the delivery, the battalion’s Lieutenant Colonel came to greet us. When he saw the IFAKs we were delivering, his eyes lit up. He couldn’t have been more pleased. He expressed that if every soldier were to be equipped with at least one IFAK, many lives would be saved. From such a high-ranking officer, it was very meaningful to hear.

Gabe: What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?

Sammy: Before this delivery, we had already understood the necessity of supplementing our IFAKs on top of the standard first-aid equipment that the military already supplies. What we hadn’t taken into consideration was the fact that each front and combat role has different needs when it comes to first aid. Because of this, we are now creating a diverse array of IFAKs for soldiers based on the unique demands they face.