NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Over the last month, the Israel-Hamas war has led to thousands of deaths and many people stepping up to help, including here in Arkansas.
Andy Broom is a North Little Rock firefighter who has just returned to America after volunteering with the nonprofit Emergency Volunteers Project for two weeks in Israel. He volunteered with a fire station in Ashdod, one of the largest port cities in the country.
Broom explained that everyone in Israel is a part of the military, so when there's war, fire stations lose personnel and need help.
He said it's an experience he will never forget, from the missile attacks every day to the devastation all around him, but he felt the call to help.
"I don't believe the fire service has any bounds," Broom said. "I'm a Christian, so serving others... that's what we are supposed to do."
Broom and 20 other firefighters were flown into Israel, responding to different calls for help, like structure fires, brush fires, gas leaks and elevator emergencies. They also responded to fires that were caused by missile attacks — a common sight in Israel right now.
While there, Broom witnessed several missiles shot out of the sky; some got through the defenses.
"Just wreaked havoc and caused a lot of fire," Broom said. "A lot of big fires when they landed, but it was serious, and they destroyed a lot of buildings, and people lost their lives."
Just weeks before Broom's arrival, five firefighters at this volunteer station died during one of the attacks.
"You could tell some of them it was an emotional response," Broom said. "They were so happy that we were standing with them."
It's something that gives him a new perspective coming back to America.
"You definitely appreciate the fact that you're not surrounded and that everybody around you wants to kill you for who you are and what you believe in," Broom said. "It's something I'll never forget."