For Rafi Sefer, retirement from his engineering job meant he was ready to save lives. The 73-year-old is now the oldest person to be certified as a paramedic in Magen David Adom’s history.
“For me, age is just a number,” says Sefer. “To be a paramedic is to really save a life. It is to reach a person in a critical situation who is fighting for his life — to take care of them.”
After retiring six years ago as an engineer, Sefer decided he’d train to become a volunteer EMT with Magen David Adom and help injured and ill Israelis. But, with a long history of achievement in his career, Sefer didn’t stop there. Last month he obtained certification as a paramedic, the highest level an emergency medical technician can achieve.
“I’m very proud of that,” says Sefer. “[Volunteering] gives me wind in the sails and it’s a lot of fun in retirement. I would like to stay in the job and volunteer for many more years.”
Sefer’s connection began in 2015, when he saw an ad inviting community members to participate in an MDA first-aid course.
“I signed up for the course and passed it,” he says, “But I wanted to do something more significant.”
Sefer initially obtained certification as an EMT and volunteered on MDA ambulances several times a month. But he yearned to become a paramedic, requiring about eight times the training he’d already received as an EMT.
“I was hugely motivated because I knew I was capable of contributing as a paramedic,” he says.
Ultimately, he completed more than 1,500 hours of training and now works twice a week on an MDA Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulance. He is encouraged by friends and family and is respected by his coworkers and community.
“When I come to an emergency, I notice that patients see me as the responsible adult in the field and turn to me. There is no age limit to save lives, you just need goodwill and to invest what you have to offer.”
