The professional firefighters' organization in Israel has launched a protest against the decision by Fire and Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simhi, to require a full matriculation certificate as a prerequisite for serving as a firefighter.
As a response to the decision, fire fighters without a full matriculation certificate have begun publishing their pictures on the social networks, holding a sign indicating how many lives they saved in the service without having a matriculation certificate. Chairman Avi Ankori of the firefighters' union said, "This is a strange decision that hurts many who risk their lives every day and we intend to act to change it."