A New Lifeline For Cyprus: Inside United Rescue Cyprus With Maxim Pasik

by Annetta Benzar
May 27, 2025
Inside United Rescue Cyprus With Maxim Pasik

When it comes to medical emergencies, minutes matter, and in some cases, they can determine whether a person lives or dies. Yet even with the best efforts from national emergency teams, response times across Europe often stretch beyond those life-saving minutes.

In Cyprus, a new initiative is aiming to close that gap.

United Rescue Cyprus, co-founded by Maxim Pasik, Executive Chairman and President, and a team of leading companies and individuals on the island, is building a community-powered, tech-enabled rapid response network modeled on the award-winning United Hatzalah system in Israel. With trained volunteers and advanced dispatch systems, the organization hopes to bring medical assistance to the scene within minutes, often before the ambulance arrives.

In this exclusive interview with The Future Media, Maxim Pasik shares the inspiration behind the initiative, what makes it uniquely suited to Cyprus, and why bridging the gap between crisis and care could transform the island’s emergency response system.

What gap in Cyprus’s emergency medical response system did you identify that made this the right time to launch United Rescue Cyprus? 

The most decisive gap in any medical response system is the delay between the time a medical emergency occurs and the arrival of an ambulance. Despite the dedication of national EMS teams, response times across Europe, including Cyprus, often exceed the critical window needed to save lives, particularly in cases like cardiac arrest, severe trauma, or choking. The reality is that no country in the world can place an ambulance on every corner.

Globally, more than 5 million people die every year from sudden cardiac arrest. The first 4–6 minutes are absolutely critical: after that, the chances of survival drop sharply by every minute that passes, and irreversible brain damage can occur. Every minute without intervention reduces the chance of survival by 7–10%, while immediate CPR and early intervention can more than double survival rates.

That’s where United Rescue Cyprus comes in. We’re building a completely free, nationwide, community-powered emergency response network here in Cyprus. We saw an opportunity to reduce that critical gap by introducing a community-based, technology-enabled first responder network, modeled after the successful United Hatzalah system in Israel. Our trained volunteers, equipped with GPS-enabled dispatch technology, can reach the scene far faster than an ambulance, especially in those critical early minutes. 

Looking ahead, how do you see United Rescue Cyprus fitting into the country’s wider healthcare and emergency response system in the coming years? 

It’s important to note, United Rescue Cyprus is not replacing the EMS; we’re augmenting and strengthening it. We’re building a bridge between the moment disaster strikes and the moment professional help arrives. 

One strategy we are putting forward is the Ambucycle: a two-wheeled, rapid-response vehicle that can navigate traffic and arrive on scene much faster than traditional ambulances. In Israel, United Rescue of Israel operates more than 1,500 Ambucycles.  

We hope to become formally integrated into Cyprus’s broader healthcare and emergency infrastructure. Beyond emergency response, we also plan to contribute to public health resilience through community training, preparedness initiatives, and local engagement island-wide.

Ultimately, United Rescue Cyprus will act as a bridge between citizens and the healthcare system, building a faster, safer, and more connected emergency care model for the entire island.

United Rescue has proven successful in Israel and other countries. What lessons from those operations are being adapted specifically for the Cypriot context?

United Rescue has been highly successful in Israel and other countries, and we’re carefully adapting those lessons to fit the Cypriot reality.

In Israel, thanks to a large network of volunteers and advanced dispatch technology, response times in major cities average just 90 seconds. Our goal is to replicate that level of speed and efficiency across Cyprus, urban and rural, by mobilizing a broad base of trained volunteers with cutting-edge dispatch systems. 

A key part of this effort is our Co-Founder, Professor Zamboglou, CEO of the German Medical Institute (GMI) and Board Member of United Rescue Cyprus. His deep understanding of Cyprus’s healthcare system ensures that our approach is tailored to local medical, logistical, and cultural needs.

We’re leveraging Cyprus’s strong base of medical professionals, including nurses and doctors, who are eager to serve their communities. Also, we have localized the technology and dispatch system to work seamlessly within Cyprus’s geography and infrastructure. Importantly, we’re working closely with national emergency services to complement, not compete with, the existing EMS network. 

The bottom line is simple: trained volunteers, equipped and mobilized quickly, save lives. With strong local leadership and a proven international model, Cyprus is ready to lead this transformation.

Cyprus’s geography, with rural villages and spread-out communities, poses notable challenges. How will technology ensure fast, reliable response times in those areas?

Cyprus’s geography, with its rural villages and spread-out communities, does pose challenges for emergency response. That’s exactly where technology comes in.

We’re using a GPS-based dispatch system that instantly identifies and alerts the closest trained volunteer, no matter where the emergency occurs. This dramatically reduces response time, even in remote and hard-to-reach areas where ambulances may take longer to arrive.

Data analytics also plays a key role. By tracking response times, geographic coverage, and volunteer availability, we can identify underserved areas and optimize the network over time. This allows us to strategically expand and adjust the network for maximum impact and efficiency. 

In short, smart technology helps us to turn distance into speed, bringing lifesaving assistance to every corner of the island.

Can you walk us through how United Rescue Cyprus operates in practice — from the moment an emergency call is received to the arrival of assistance? 

When an emergency call comes in, it first reaches the United Rescue Cyprus dispatch center. The dispatcher immediately guides the caller through essential first steps, providing real-time instructions on what to do until help arrives.

At the same time, the dispatcher logs the incident and location into our platform. Using the GPS-enabled technology similar to Uber’s, the system automatically identifies and alerts the closest trained volunteers, sending them precise directions to the scene.

These volunteers can often reach the location well before an ambulance, providing critical first aid to stabilize the patient in those crucial early minutes. While on site, the volunteers also coordinate with emergency services to ensure a smooth handover when the ambulance arrives. 

This model helps close the response gap, providing rapid, life-saving intervention at the moment it matters most.

Who are the volunteers that make up your network, and what kind of training or certification do they undergo before they’re deployed? 

We’re starting with a pilot program in Limassol and aim to train up to 350 civilian volunteers.

Our volunteer network is made up of caring civilians from all walks of life, with a strong representation of nurses, doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals who bring valuable expertise. We also welcome dedicated community members who are ready to complete our rigorous training.

United Response Cyprus

Before deployment, we ensure all volunteers meet legal and professional standards through strict background checks and a certified training program. The training program is led by certified EMS instructors. This program covers critical skills such as CPR, trauma response, choking intervention, bleeding control, and safe scene management.

Volunteers must pass both the theoretical and practical assessments to receive certification. To maintain high standards of care, they participate in ongoing recertification and training, supported by digital learning tools and live simulations.

This rigorous approach ensures that every responder is well-prepared to provide effective, life-saving care until professional EMS teams arrive.

Under Cypriot law, it is legal for volunteers to provide emergency assistance as long as they complete a relevant, approved training program. All our volunteers are certified and operate within a clearly defined scope of practice. We also conduct ongoing evaluations to maintain high standards of care. 

In addition, we also provide legal protection and insurance to ensure both volunteer and patient safety.

But more than compliance, we are guided by a deeper mission:

“Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world.”

This is what drives us forward and is the principle at the heart of our work. We are uniting people from all backgrounds to build a nationwide, community-powered emergency response network, completely free for everyone in Cyprus. 

Since announcing the launch of United Rescue Cyprus, we’ve already received over 200 applications from people ready to step up, serve their communities, and save lives. The response has been incredible, and this is just the beginning.

Are there any final thoughts you would like to share?

None of this would be possible without our visionary co-founders and founding members, whose dedication and leadership have laid the foundation for a life-saving national movement:

The founding members are:

  • Maxim Pasik (Executive Chairman & President)
  • Professor Nikolaos Zamboglou (Board Member)
  • Adv. Soteris Pittas (Board Member)
  • Exness Global
  • BBF Global
  • Letshelp
  • Magnumserve

Now more than ever, it’s vital for the business community, individuals, and everyone who cares about our collective Cyprus to stand with us. Your support will help us expand faster, train more volunteers, and ensure that no life is lost simply because help didn’t arrive in time.

We invite everyone to be part of something truly historic at our official launch event on 30 May at 20:00 at Monte Caputo, featuring an unforgettable performance by world-renowned tenor Alessandro Safina. The evening will be held under the auspices of the First Lady of Cyprus and marks the beginning of a life-saving movement across the island. For more details and ticket information, please visit this link

Join us. Stand with us. Unite. Save lives.

For more information on how to support or join United Rescue Cyprus, please visit:

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