The Givatayim Municipality is joining a line of local authorities working to introduce defibrillators into residential buildings, and will grant an additional subsidy to building committees in the city. As part of the move, eligible building committees in Givatayim will actually pay only NIS 800 for a package that includes a resuscitation device, cabinet, installation, signage, and instruction.
The project is taking place in cooperation with the Association for Culture of Housing and MDA, and is designed to increase the number of defibrillators available in the residential environment. According to the terms of the national call for proposals of the Association for Culture of Housing, a building committee eligible for the grant pays NIS 1,000 directly to MDA, with the Association funding the remaining cost. In Givatayim, the municipality decided to add a local subsidy of NIS 200, which will be refunded to the building committee, so that the final cost will stand at NIS 800.
A defibrillator, or cardiac pacer, is a device designed to detect a life-threatening arrhythmia and, if necessary, deliver an electric shock. In the case of cardiac arrest, the time until the start of resuscitation and delivery of the electric shock can be critical. The idea behind placing the devices in residential buildings is to shorten as much as possible the time it takes to reach the device, even before a medical team arrives.
Not only Givatayim
Givatayim is not the first city in which the placement of defibrillators in shared residential buildings is being promoted. Moves to place devices in residential buildings have already taken place, among other places, in Rishon Lezion, Rehovot, Herzliya, Or Yehuda, Ra'anana, Yavne, Kfar Saba, and Tzur Hadassah, alongside additional authorities.
The step in Givatayim joins a broader project by the Association for Culture of Housing. According to the call for proposals published by the Association, the budget is limited and accordingly, so is the number of devices that can be subsidized. The tender for supplying the devices and accompanying services was conducted by the Association and was won by MDA.
The package does not only include the resuscitation device. It includes a defibrillator with a battery and electrodes, a dedicated storage cabinet, installation, signage, and instruction for residents. The device offered as part of the project is suitable for use on adults and children without the need to purchase separate electrodes for children, and according to the call for proposals, it has AMAR approval from the Health Ministry.
MDA is also supposed to deliver a 30-to-60-minute instruction session to the residents of the building, which will take place within 30 days from the date of device installation. The instruction includes, among other things, the use of the defibrillator, maintenance, cleaning, inspections, and storage.
Buildings that are not members of the association can also join
The option is not limited only to buildings that are already members of the Association for Culture of Housing. Building committees that are not currently members can also submit an application, provided that they commit to joining the Association for at least two years. Another condition is that a defibrillator is not already installed in the building or its shared complex.
However, the mere submission of an application does not guarantee receiving a device. The number of defibrillators is limited and applications are examined according to criteria set in the call for proposals. Among other things, larger buildings receive extra points, and in the case of applications with equal points, the time of application submission may be decisive.
The deadline for submitting applications is Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be discussed.
Givatayim Mayor Ran Konik stated: "In the case of cardiac arrest, every minute is critical and the availability of a defibrillator nearby can save lives. Therefore, we decided to grant an additional municipal subsidy and encourage building committees to join the project and expand the deployment of life-saving devices across Givatayim."
Reuven Zadok, CEO of the Association for Culture of Housing, added that: "Placing defibrillators in residential buildings is an important step in making life-saving devices accessible and increasing awareness of their importance. We welcome the cooperation with the Givatayim Municipality and its decision to grant an additional subsidy to residents."