Each neighborhood or city in Hatzalah operates independently.[1] There are some exceptions, where there is a tight affiliation with neighboring Hatzalahs, a loose affiliation of neighboring Hatzalahs, or some other basic level of co-operation.
Hatzalah in Israel, on the national level, exists as two different organizations: Tzevet Hatzolah, and Ichud Hatzalah (rendered in English as United Hatzalah). Hatzolah Israel was the original organization, under the leadership of David "Duki" Greenwald. In 2006, Ichud Hatzalah was launched as competing organization with Hatzolah Israel, which eventually led Hatzolah Israel to declare bankruptcy. Many Hatzolah Israel volunteers who were dissatisfied with the actions of Ichud Hatzalah's leadership objected to joining the organization, and launched their own organization called Tzevet Hatzolah (loosely translated to TEAM Hatzolah).
While Tzevet Hatzolah volunteers provide both emergency first responder care and emergency transport utilizing Magen David Adom ambulances, Ichud Hatzalah primarily provides first responder care and largely relies on Magen David Adom for emergency transport. Each of the organizations has many local chapters, and provides coordinated response for larger emergencies or extra coverage across multiple localities.[11][12]
Additionally, there are several smaller Hatzolah organizations that operate on the local level. A partial list can be found below.
Beit Shemesh (unaffiliated; only service to provide both first response and ambulance transportation) [13]
Har Nof (affiliated with MDA, named HaChovesh, instead of Hatzolah)[14]
Gush Dan (out of Bnei Brak, greater Tel Aviv area, including: Ra'anana, Herzliya, Netanya; unaffiliated)[15]
Mexico
Chevra Hatzalah Mexico was founded in 1997 by Mr. Chaim Silver. The branch is run by the Syrian-Sephardic community under supervision of Mr. Abraham Levy who is the CEO. It has 70 full-time volunteers, seven ambulances and six locations (five bases and a headquarters). It also has access to a helicopter and air transport. All dispatchers are Volunteer EMS for immediate intervention and instructions, some of them certified in Advanced Critical Care Medicine and Emergency response, actually working for prestigious Mexican Hospitals and National Medical Centers. Volunteers have plenty of experience in Trauma and Internal Medicine emergencies, having training in the Mexican Red Cross's Ambulance Center. The branch covers the Jewish areas of Tecamachalco, Bosques, Polanco, Interlomas, and the weekend resort city Cuernavaca. It has full-time operating bases in three major Jewish areas, having its Central Base in Tecamachalco, a dense populated Jewish area in Mexico City.[16]
London's Hatzalah itself is split into four sister organisations, one operating in Golders Green area, known as Hatzola North West, another based in Stamford Hill, known as North London Hatzola, Edgware Hatzola based in Edgware and the newest chapter, Hatzola Herts operating in Borehamwood and Radlett.
Los Angeles has a chapter whose units use the "LA" radio prefix, which provides Basic life support level care, and relies on the Los Angeles Fire Department for Advanced life supportparamedic care and transport. On August 31, 2009, they began direct transport of patients to area hospitals using their own ambulance.[26]
Los Angeles[27] Covering Hancock Park / Fairfax, Pico-Robertson / Beverly wood / Beverly Hills, and Valley Village / North Hollywood / Tarzana / Encino.
Connecticut
The Orthodox community in Waterbury, Connecticut, centered around the yeshiva there, has its own Hatzolah.
In 2016 the Mesivta of Yeshiva of Waterbury moved to Durham, Connecticut. As Durham is 35 minutes away from the Jewish community in Waterbury, the Hatzolah of Durham was established which takes care of the Mesivta of Waterbury Yeshiva campus located in Durham, under the leadership and guidance of Rabbi Daniel Kalish.
On April 26, 2021, the Florida Senate unanimously passed bill CS/HB 1084, which allows certain faith-based first responder agencies to obtain licensure as an ambulance transport provider. On June 14, 2021, GovernorRon DeSantis signed it into law.[29]
Now known as Hatzalah South Florida Emergency Medical Services, the non-profit volunteer organization is a fully licensed advanced life support service provider, and provides emergency basic life support and advanced life support response and transport in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, serving communities in some areas of unincorporated North East Miami-Dade County and North Miami Beach, Aventura, Highland Lakes, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Miami Beach, Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Lauderhill, Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton.
In 2011, Hatzalah Chicago started providing non-transport Basic Life Support ("BLS") coverage for Lincolnwood, Peterson Park, Skokie, and West Rogers Park.[31] Hatzalah Chicago started BLS transport in 2013 and Advanced Life Support ("ALS") service in 2018. They currently operate four ALS ambulances and have responded to over 10,000 calls for service.[citation needed]
Maryland
Baltimore started a Hatzalah in 2007 as a first-responder-only service, with transport to be done by Baltimore City ambulance units. Currently, Hatzalah of Baltimore does maintain a fleet of six ambulances, and provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) services to the Northwest Baltimore community, provided it is in their response area.[32][33]
Michigan
Hatzalah of Michigan was formed in 2017 to augment existing emergency medical services in the cities of Oak Park, Southfield, and Huntington Woods. Hatzalah of Michigan is state licensed and regulated by the Oakland County Medical Control Authority (OCMCA). The OCMCA oversees all EMS personnel in the county. Hatzalah personnel are licensed EMS providers, who are further advised by a panel of doctors and have trained with fire and ambulance personnel to ensure continuity of care.[34]
New Jersey
New Jersey has many Hatzalah organizations throughout the State. Each NJ affiliate maintains its own emergency phone number, dispatchers, and radio frequencies. While they are not officially connected, as with NYC Hatzalah, many of them are nevertheless loosely affiliated, engaging in shared training and providing stand-by event coverage.
Per New Jersey law, volunteers with municipality-issued permits may equip their cars with blue lights and electronic airhorns. Coordinators' ("officers") personal vehicles, are permitted the use of red lights and sirens; not all divisions make use of these allowances.
Paramedic (ALS) units in New Jersey are hospital system-based, per NJ State law. Hatzalah of Central Jersey and Hatzalah of Passaic/Clifton operate ALS trucks in partnership with RWJ and St. Clare's, respectively.
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen Hatzalah Emergency Medical Services [35] is a division of Central Hatzalah of New York City. Established on September 3, 2021, it is the first Chevra Hatzalah of NYC division in New Jersey and the New York-based organization’s first new neighborhood division to join in over 30 years.
With more than 60 responders, Bergen Hatzalah uses the "BC" unit number prefix while serving 40 municipalities across Bergen County. The organization is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) and operates five ambulances strategically positioned in Bergenfield, Englewood, Fairlawn, and Teaneck. In addition, eight fully-equipped, agency-owned Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) ensure rapid response times, complemented by volunteers responding in their personal vehicles who carry comprehensive sets of equipment, including Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), lifesaving medications, and a full range of first-aid supplies.
Central Jersey
Formerly Hatzolah of Lakewood; this is the largest division in New Jersey, with "CJ-prefix" unit numbers. Central Jersey has a Paramedic (ALS) unit. The ALS unit is owned and run by RWJ Barnabas (and formerly by MONOC), but the Paramedics are also Central Jersey Hatzolah members, and the vehicles were donated by Hatzolah Central Jersey to the hospital system. This unusual arrangement meets New Jersey's strict hospital-based ALS rules, while giving Hatzolah its own ALS coverage. Unique to the division, Central Jersey has its own Rescue (extrication) unit,
Clark
"CL-prefix"; on the heels of the successful launch of Linden Hatzolah, residents of Clark, NJ have begun efforts to officially organize their own Hatzolah chapter. While they border Linden, residents decided that they needed their own responders within their township to fulfill their needs. This is still in the planning stages, and there is no set date as to when they will launch.
Essex County (Newark)
Formerly Hatzalah of Newark, EMS,[36] with the "N-prefix" unit numbers went live in 2015, and provides BLS service to the Newark community and surrounding areas, including Newark Liberty International Airport. ALS services, when needed, are dispatched by the local hospital. In September 2019, it has expanded, and is now called Hatzalah of Essex County. HEC is primarily operational during business hours.
Hudson County (Union City-Jersey City)
Formerly Hatzolah of Union City, HC is run out of Mosded Sanz-Zviel,[37] which is the center of the Chasidic community in Union City. Union City is located in Hudson County and is not related to Union County (sometimes referred to as Hatzalah of Elizabeth) or Union City.
Hatzolah of Linden, NJ,[40] with "LR-prefix" unit numbers. Linden uses AT&T First Net, which is a cell phone based radio system. Hatzolah of Linden branched off from Hatzolah of Union County on August 25, 2021. Hatzolah of Linden has five ambulances, and another on the way, serving over 350 households living in the city of Linden and neighboring cities.
Metrowest
Hatzalah Metrowest,[41] (formerly Hatzalah of West Orange and Livingston) launched on September 3, 2021, with "X-prefix" unit numbers. On September 24, 2022, Hatzalah announced its name change in parallel with the creation of its Morristown division. Areas of operation include West Orange, Livingston, Morristown, and more than a dozen surrounding towns in Essex and Morris counties. Hatzalah of Metrowest is an active 911 mutual aid provider, and has 51 EMTs, 3 Ambulances, and 2 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs).
Middlesex County
Hatzolah of Middlesex County,[42] with "MC-prefix" unit numbers. Middlesex County is a county located in North-Central New Jersey. It launched on November 16, 2014. At this time, the primary areas of response are Edison (including Raritan Center), Highland Park, Piscataway, and portions of East Brunswick. For events in hotels, they have responded to Somerset as well.
Passaic / Clifton
Hatzolah of Passaic / Clifton EMS. The neighboring cities have a contiguous Orthodox Jewish community, with most of the community and its institutions on the Passaic side. Likewise, Hatzolah of Passaic / Clifton, with "P-prefix" unit numbers, covers both parts of the community, but is primarily in Passaic, with some members and management in Clifton. This Hatzolah is geographically near Union City, and can provide extra coverage for them. Hatzolah of Passaic / Clifton has 30 active members, 20 dispatchers, three ambulances, and four service units, for a community of about 2,000 households. In the summer of 2022, Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton inaugurated its first ambulance garage in the center of the community. In November of 2024, they put an ALS unit in service in partnership with St. Clare's.
Union County
Hatzalah of Union County,[43] with "U-prefix" unit numbers. Union County is geographically and organizationally separate from Union City. With three active ambulances, Union County units cover all of Union County, including Hillside, Elizabeth, Roselle Park, and Union Township, an up and coming orthodox Jewish neighborhood. Union County units may also respond to businesses and residences in parts of the city of Newark that border Union County, where slow EMS response may allow the Hatzalah ambulance to arrive from Elizabeth or Hillside before any Newark city crews arrive. Hatzalah of Union County also covers Elizabeth's Jersey Gardens Mall, Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as nearby stretches of the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Their three ambulances are located in Elizabeth, Hillside, and the Township of Union.
New York
Canarsie / Mill Basin
The Canarsie / Mill Basin chapter was originally just the Canarsie division. As the Canarsie Orthodox neighborhood declined, and the Mill Basin one grew, Canarsie started taking more calls and members from nearby Mill Basin, and is now primarily a Mill Basin operation. Canarsie / Mill Basin also covers nearby Georgetown. There are parts of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Mill Basin that border Madison / Midwood / East Midwood; so, there is some overlap in coverage with Flatbush.
[44] This chapter is part of Central Hatzalah of New York City. While the Catskills have a year-round operation, the vast majority of their activity is in July and August, when summer residents arrive.
[23][45][46] Flichmanns Hatzolah is operating in the summer months only, Thats during July and august, They use Radio call signs FL. They have one Bus goieng by FL-901. They are still working on connecting with Catskills Hatzolah or grouping together with Hunter mountain and Tannervill (Not sure that hunter and Tanersvill have an established Hatzolah orgenazation).
[23][47] The Hasidic community in Kiryas Joel (Monroe), NY, has a chapter. Uniquely, it operates separately from all other New York State Hatzolah organizations. It was founded in 1995.[48]
This chapter is a break-off from the Rockland Hatzoloh chapter. Uniquely, the chapter has female Certified First Responders who respond to calls involving obstetrics-related emergencies.
Crown Heights[54] This chapter covers the Crown Heights and East Flatbush neighborhoods as well as Prospect Park.
Flatbush. This chapter covers the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Midwood, East Midwood, Madison, and Gravesend. The extended area includes Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Ditmas Park, and Kensington, and, occasionally, Bensonhurst.
Rockaway / Lawrence. This chapter covers the Rockaways and Lawrence, Arverne, Atlantic Beach, Bayswater, Belle Harbor, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Far Rockaway, Hewlett, Inwood, Kennedy Airport, Lawrence, Long Beach, North Woodmere, Rosedale, and Woodmere.
Sea Gate
Staten Island
Upper East Side Manhattan (34th street to 125th street Central Park / 5th Ave to East River)
Bergen Hatzalah — Though headquartered and responding within the Bergen County, NJ, community, Bergen Hatzalah is part of the Central Hatzalah operations
Philadelphia Hatzolah provides first responder aid to the Northeast, Overbrook, and Wynnewood areas. For transport services, either 9-1-1 or private ambulance partners are utilized. Philadelphia Hatzolah has nineteen state-certified responders, including several full-time professional EMTs and Paramedics.[63][64]
A second Hatzalah division in Philadelphia is in the process of forming. It will launch as a first-response agency, briefing the gap until a 911 ambulance arrives. It's initial area of coverage will include Bala Cynwyd, Merion Station, Wynnewood, Overbrook Farms, and Overbrook Park.
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. They may also be known as a first aid squad, FAST squad, emergency squad, ambulance squad, ambulance corps, life squad or by other initialisms such as EMAS or EMARS.
An emergency medical technician is a medical professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found serving on ambulances and in fire departments in the US and Canada, as full-time and some part-time departments require their firefighters to at least be EMT certified.
A certified first responder is a person who has completed a course and received certification in providing pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. Certified individuals should have received much more instruction than someone who is trained in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but they are not necessarily a substitute for more advanced emergency medical care rendered by emergency medical technicians and paramedics. First responders typically provide advanced first aid level care, CPR, and automated external defibrillator (AED) usage. The term "certified first responder" is not to be confused with "first responder", which is a generic term referring to the first medically trained responder to arrive on scene and medically trained telecommunication operators who provide pre-arrival medical instructions as trained Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD). Many police officers and firefighters are required to receive training as certified first responders. Advanced medical care is typically provided by EMS, although some police officers and firefighters also train to become emergency medical technicians or paramedics.
Hatzalah is the title used by many Jewish volunteer emergency medical service (EMS) organizations serving mostly areas with Jewish communities around the world, giving medical service to patients regardless of their religion. Most local branches operate independently of each other, but use the common name. The Hebrew spelling of the name is always the same, but there are many variations in transliteration, such as Hatzolah, Hatzoloh, and Hatzola. It is also often called Chevra Hatzalah, which loosely translates as "Company of Rescuers", "Group of Rescuers", or "Rescue Squad". It is the largest volunteer medical group in the United States.
A nontransporting EMS vehicle is a vehicle that responds to and provides emergency medical services (EMS) without the ability to transport patients. For patients whose condition requires transport, an ambulance is necessary. In some cases they may fulfill other duties when not participating in EMS operations, such as policing or fire suppression.
In the United States, emergency medical services (EMS) provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care for those in need. They are regulated at the most basic level by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which sets the minimum standards that all states' EMS providers must meet, and regulated more strictly by individual state governments, which often require higher standards from the services they oversee.
The Union Volunteer Emergency Squad (UVES) provides emergency services for the Town of Union, New York, USA. It has stations in Endwell, New York; Johnson City, New York; and Endicott, New York.
Statcom - Citywide MARTA Mission Critical EMS Rescue / Fire Rescue & SecureMobility Transit is the largest private provider of advanced life support (ALS) and basic life support (BLS) ambulance transportation services in the tri-state area. Its main operation areas of New York City, the Hudson Valley, Long Island, the state of Delaware, the Baltimore-Washington DC corridor and in numerous locations in Pennsylvania. It was the largest privately owned ambulance service in the Mid-Atlantic. It was the largest privately owned public benefits corporation ambulance and paratransit service in the Tri-State Area
Emergency medical services in Israel are provided by the Magen David Adom (MDA) organization, and in some places by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The phone number to call for an ambulance is 101
Emergency medical services in Australia are provided by state ambulance services, which are a division of each state or territorial government, and by St John Ambulance in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Chaverim, also spelled Chaveirim, is an umbrella name for Orthodox Jewish volunteer organizations with locations all over the world; they provide roadside assistance and other non-medical emergency help at home or on the road. All services are free. The organizations are supported by local donations.
Eli Beer is the founder of United Hatzalah of Israel, and President of the U.S.-based organization Friends of United Hatzalah. United Hatzalah of Israel is an independent, non-profit, fully-volunteer emergency medical services organization that provides fast and free emergency medical first response throughout Israel.
The Loudoun County Combined Fire-Rescue System (LC-CFRS) is made up of the career Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) and 16 volunteer organizations. LC-CFRS has the responsibility of protecting the citizens and property of the towns, villages, and suburbs of Loudoun County, Virginia, from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, and technical rescue response services, including Hazardous Materials mitigation, Mass Casualty Incident response services, environmental danger response services and more. The headquarters and training facilities of the department are in Leesburg, off Sycolin Road.
The New York City Fire Department Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is a division of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in charge of emergency medical services for New York City. It was established on March 17, 1996, following the merger of the FDNY and New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation's emergency medical services division. FDNY EMS provides coverage of all five boroughs of New York City with ambulances and a variety of specialized response vehicles.
The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps is the primary 911 EMS provider in Hoboken, New Jersey. The corps responds to nearly 5000 calls for service yearly in Hoboken and, as needed, in neighboring areas.
United Hatzalah is an Israeli volunteer-based emergency medical services (EMS) organization providing free service throughout Israel, with its headquarters based in Jerusalem. Its mission is to provide immediate medical intervention during the critical window between the onset of an emergency and the arrival of traditional ambulance assistance. It is one of many Hatzalah organizations in various parts of the world and the only one that includes women and non-Jewish volunteers.
The City of Cleveland Division of Emergency Medical Service, also known as Cleveland EMS or CEMS, is the division of the municipal government tasked with emergency ambulance transport for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. It is a third service, operating as part of the public safety department.
93Queen is a 2018 documentary film on Hasidic women in Borough Park, Brooklyn who form Ezras Nashim, an all-female ambulance corps. The film follows Judge Rachel Freier, a Hasidic lawyer running for public office as a New York Judge, and mother of six who is determined to shake up the “boys club” in her Hasidic community by creating the first all-female ambulance corps in the United States, as she negotiates her community initiative within the context of a male-dominated Hasidic community.
Ezras Nashim is an all-female Orthodox Jewish volunteer EMT ambulance service established with the goal of preserving women's modesty in emergency medical situations, especially childbirth.
↑ "At Nationwide Conference Hatzoloh Volunteers Urged to Stand Firm". Matzav. June 14, 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2012. Gedolei Yisroel told Hatzoloh Union and Hatzoloh Gush Dan volunteers... [NB: Hatzolah Union is a translation of Ichud Hatzolah, usually translated United Hatzalah.]
↑ "Philadelphia Hatzolah Is Responding". 19 September 2010. After the press release in the Yeshiva World News, several comments were posted that required a detailed explanation of the Mission of Philadelphia branch. One of the main questions was the relationship between Hatzolah of Philadelphia and Local EMS Agencies. Picture
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