Shirt a Phobia

Sample Page

This article is about the emergency medical services organization. For the Holocaust rescue organization, see Vaad Hatzalah.

A Hatzalah ambulance in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Hatzalah, also spelled Hatzolah or Hatzola (/hətˈsʌlə/; Hebrew: הַצָּלָה, lit. ‘resue‘ or ‘relief‘, [hat͡saˈla]), is the title used by many Jewish volunteer emergency medical service (EMS) organizations serving mostly areas with Jewish communities around the world. Most local branches operate independently of each other, but use the common name.

History

The original Hatzalah emergency medical services (EMS) was founded in Williamsburg, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, by Hershel Weber in the late 1960s.[1] His aim was to improve rapid emergency medical response in the community, and to mitigate cultural concerns of a Yiddish-speaking, Hasidic community.[2] The idea spread to other Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in the New York City area, and eventually to other regions, countries, and continents.[3] Hatzalah is believed to be the largest volunteer ambulance service in the United States.[4][5]

Hatzalah members were present at several operations such as the September 11 attacks[6][7] and Surfside condominium collapse,[8] and provided medical equipment to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] In March 2026, four Hatzola ambulances were set on fire in London.[11]

Operations

Two Hatzolah ambulances on stand-by on the Upper East Side

Each volunteer is called a unit (as in, a crew of one) and is assigned a unit number that starts with a neighborhood code, followed by a serial number for that neighborhood (e.g., “Q-120” means “Queens unit number 120”[12]).

In some areas there may be periods where coverage is not strong enough, for example on a summer weekend. When this happens, coordinators may assign an on-call rotation. The rotation may still respond from their houses, or they may stay at the garage through their shift. In such periods, Hatzalah functions closer to a typical EMS crew setup, though the dispatchers may still seek non-on-call members to respond, and there will still often be a non-ambulance responder as first dispatched, even if that responder starts from the base.[12]

In Israel, United Hatzalah relies upon mobile phone technologies which include an SOS app and a special emergency phone number, 1221, with messages to news organizations distributed by WhatsApp.[13]

Response times

Hatzalah’s model provides for rapid first responder response times. Each Hatzalah neighborhood’s response time varies. For example, in Borough Park, Brooklyn, daytime response in life-threatening emergency are between 1–2 minutes, and nighttime response times are 5–6 minutes. However, following implementation of Truck-1 (night on-call crews) the nighttime response in Borough Park was shortened significantly.[14] In the Beverly-La Brea neighborhood of Los Angeles, response times average at 60–90 seconds.[15] In Israel, the response time is under 3 minutes.[16]

Organization

Hatzalah is not a single organization. Each chapter operates autonomously, or, in some cases, with varying levels of affiliation with neighboring Hatzalah chapters and under a central association.[17]

In New York City, there are usually two or three members who are “coordinators”,[18] managing all operational aspects of the chapter. The New York City-area Hatzalah is formally called Chevra Hatzalah of New York. It combines dispatch and some other functions for over a dozen neighborhood chapters, which each have their own fund-raising, management, garages, ambulances, and assigned members. Together, the combined New York State branches have grown to become the largest all-volunteer ambulance system in the United States.[14]

In New York, Hatzalah usually uses red and white lights and sirens, like normal unmarked emergency vehicles. In New Jersey, Hatzalah usually use blue lights.[19] Since 2021, Florida law has permitted faith-based volunteer ambulance services to operate, allowing Hatzalah response vehicles to use emergency lights and sirens.[20] In Toronto, Hatzalah uses green lights, having the same legal status as volunteer firefighters who also use green lights in their vehicles.[21] In the United Kingdom, Hatzola organisations cannot legally use or install blue lights and sirens on their responders’ private vehicles.[22]

On 20 February 2013, the Federal Communications Commission granted Chevrah Hatzalah’s request for a waiver to obtain calling party numbers (CPN), even when callers have caller ID blocking.[23] In the United States, this type of CPN blocking waiver is normally only given to 911 call centers, but Chevrah Hatzalah does not receive calls through 911. Other Hatzalah dispatch numbers, including other New York State Hatzalah groups, do not have this waiver.[citation needed]

Interaction with other agencies

Magen David Adom

United Hatzalah’s relationship with Magen David Adom is strained, and MDA has banned its members and volunteers from also volunteering in other rescue organizations, including Hatzalah.[24][25]

Ezras Nashim

Hatzalah was criticized by the New York Post[26][27] and JEMS Magazine[28] for its practice of not allowing women to join. A group of Orthodox women founded an organization called Ezras Nashim, an all-female Orthodox Jewish volunteer EMT ambulance service,[29] citing the need for modesty and sensitivity to the needs of fellow Orthodox women, with the goal of preserving women’s modesty in emergency medical situations, especially childbirth.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ “Williamsburg Services”. hatzolahw.org. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  2. ^ Goldberg, Emma (19 April 2021). “They Told Her Women Couldn’t Join the Ambulance Corps. So She Started Her Own”. The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. ^ South Africa: Taback, Aryeh B. (2003). The Director. Artscroll. p. 153. ISBN 1-57819-734-1. Attention all responders .. report of an MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident)
  4. ^ Cooper, E. C. (30 March 2012). “Chevrah Hatzalah” (PDF). Request to FCC regarding access to Blocked Telephone Numbers. fcc.gov. Retrieved 27 December 2014. “Hatzalah is the only volunteer ambulance service licensed to serve the entire City of New York, and it is believed to be the largest volunteer ambulance service in the nation.”
  5. ^ The Edhi Foundation, with more than 500 ambulances, has held the Guinness record for world’s “largest volunteer ambulance organization” since 1997.
  6. ^ “Answering the Call on 9-11”. Behrman House Publishing.
  7. ^ “The Yeshiva World Audio Of Hatzolah Radio & Video: 7 Years Since 9/11”. Theyeshivaworld.com. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  8. ^ Morganbesser, Lauren (28 June 2021). “Hatzalah Paramedics at Florida Building Collapse: There is Hope”. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  9. ^ Boigon, Molly (1 April 2020). “Orthodox EMS’ ventilator transfer solves hospital’s conflict with Jewish patients — for now”. Forward. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  10. ^ Konkol, Mark (23 March 2020). “Coronavirus: Jewish EMS Service Donates Masks To Suburban Police”. Patch. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. ^ Osuh, Chris (23 March 2026). “‘Not just a Jewish service’: Hatzola ambulances serve whole community, say volunteers”. The Guardian.
  12. ^ a b Handler, Mechel; Rabbi Dovid Weinberger. Madrich L’Chevra Hatzalah. Feldheim.
  13. ^ Wootliff, Raoul (17 February 2016). “After blogs and Facebook, military censor sets sights on WhatsApp”. The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  14. ^ a b Bloomberg, M. (2005). “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Announces Two Initiatives To Re-Develop Under-Utilized Land In The Culver El Section Of Borough Park, Brooklyn”.
  15. ^ “Volunteer Lifesavers”. Jewish Journal. 2001. Archived from the original on 28 December 2001.
  16. ^ “Frequently Asked Questions”. israelrescue.org. United Hatzalah. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  17. ^ “Affiliates”. hatzalah.org. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  18. ^ “Regional Locations – Central Coordination”. hatzalah.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  19. ^ “NY Hatzolah Ambulances Can Now Use Blue Lights”. Yeshiva World News. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  20. ^ Batchelor, Amanda; Milberg, Glenna (14 June 2021). “DeSantis Signs New Law Supporting Faith-based Volunteer Ambulance Services”. WPLG-TV. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  21. ^ “Highway Traffic Act”. Ontario. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  22. ^ “High Court rules Hatzola paramedics breached traffic laws”. BBC News. 13 March 2014.
  23. ^ “Petition of Chevrah Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Corps Inc. for Waiver of Section 1601(b) of the Commission’s Rules – Blocked Telephone Numbers” (PDF).
  24. ^ Gilhar, Uri (13 March 2009). “Haredi Rescue Organizations Collapsing”. Ynetnews. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  25. ^ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (14 May 2019). “MDA, Hatzalah battle over the nation’s health”. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  26. ^ Fenton, Reuven (26 September 2011). “Jewish ‘siren’ ladies”. New York Post. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  27. ^ Fenton, Reuven (30 October 2019). “Hasidic all-women EMT group faces backlash from Hatzaloh members”. New York Post. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  28. ^ “Jewish Female EMTs Plan to Join All-Male Ambulance Corps”. Jems.com. September 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  29. ^ Weichselbaum, Simone (27 February 2012). “Jewish Women in Brooklyn Launch EMT Service”. Daily News. New York.
  30. ^ Herzenberg, Michael (28 May 2012). “Woman Works To Form All-Female Hasidic Jewish EMT Service”. NY1. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.