Prison guards who died in Carmel blaze to be honored
Cadets who burned to death in tragic forest fire to receive distinguished service orders
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
The Israel Prison Service cadets who were burned to death fifteen months ago when their bus was caught in a huge forest fire in the Carmel region will receive posthumous Distinguished Service Orders, Maariv reported on Monday.
Although no formal date for the presentation ceremony has been set, Maariv reported that the families were told in a phone call from the Prison Service Victims’ Officer to reserve April 22 and that the Prison Services commissioner and the Internal Security minister would be in attendance. The announcement was welcomed by the families of the deceased, who expressed hope that the prime minister and the president will also attend the ceremony.
Forty-four people were killed in the December 2010 blaze that engulfed 50,00 dunams (12,355 acres) of forest in the Carmel mountains and forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people from their homes.
The prison service cadets were scrambled to help tackle the inferno, but the bus they were traveling on became trapped on a burning forest road and was incinerated with the men and women still on board. Although two people on the bus escaped, the driver and 37 prison staff died as well as three policemen and three firefighters who were trying to save them. Another cadet traveling in a car behind the bus also survived.
The three police officers who died in the fire were awarded distinguished service orders by then-police commissioner Dudi Cohen in early 2011.
A State Comptroller report on the fire is due to be published next month. Initially, the families had objected to honoring the police officers before the State Comptroller report was published and even appealed to the High Court to block the decision. The state responded that the medals were awarded to the police officers for “an act of courage that is suitably distinguished” that was now part of police history and should serve as an example for other police personnel.
The Prison Service staff members who survived the tragedy, two cadets and the assistant department commander at the Prison Service officer’s course, Sigal Douek, will not be honored.
Maariv reported that their families believe the survivors should be honored since they had embarked on the same mission as those who were killed.
The Times of Israel Community.