Hatzolah EMS

NPO

NPO

Forum Deputy Chief
Messages
1,831
Reaction score
897
Points
113
Can anyone explain (or justify) systems like Hatzolah EMS?

I've known about it for a long time, bit recently saw THIS video, and it all seems a bit ridiculous, unsafe, unregulated, and ridiculous.

Nothing against increasing care, and I understand the sense of community aspect, but that video is ridiculous...
 
Hatzolah is a 100% volunteer EMS service that serves only certain cities in the US and Israel(maybe other countries too). They are allowed to have lights and sirens, their members are trained at the minimum EMT-Basic level(some are even paramedics and Doctors too with the same equipment any ALS provider would have) and they respond to most calls within a couple of minutes, due to the fact that most of their members are always in the area. The cool thing about them is they do not charge you for their services ever whether they transport you or not. They can be a vital resource to FD and PD especially in New York and LA where they arrive often minutes before the authorities do. I have never used their services but I have personally spoken with some people who live in their "service" area of LA who said that they are very nice people. I remember years ago an LAFD Deputy Chief was talking to the news at a major structure fire and actually complemented Hatzolah for treating the victims while FD dedicated most of their resources to the fire.
 
Transport? What are there they transporting in? Minivans?

I'm kidding, I know they have ambulances but in the video there are 7, count SEVEN first responders. Now, granted, reading the comments, it was mentioned that it was possibly a cardiac arrest, which is one of a few places where a first responder arriving minutes before an ambulance could make a difference, but on average calls, what are they going to do? Also, who dispatches them? Does the local EMS (FDNY/LAFD) get notified?
 
....I've never heard of/seen them here in LA..:confused: I've only ever heard of them around NYC which still has volunteers running around mixed in with hospital run units mixed in with FDNY..
 
NPO said:
Transport? What are there they transporting in? Minivans?

I'm kidding, I know they have ambulances but in the video there are 7, count SEVEN first responders. Now, granted, reading the comments, it was mentioned that it was possibly a cardiac arrest, which is one of a few places where a first responder arriving minutes before an ambulance could make a difference, but on average calls, what are they going to do? Also, who dispatches them? Does the local EMS (FDNY/LAFD) get notified?
Click to expand...
I saw the video, it was a cluster**** but some comments were indicating someone told them a wrong location. On average calls they will do everything a BLS or ALS(if equipped) will do until either their ambulance or FD's ambulance comes to transport. They dispatch themselves and they get the calls via their 1800 number. In LA, there is a 1800 number people call for Hatzolah. Hatzolah also makes it a point to call 911 if the person calling hasnt already. In LA, they are only around in the Fairfax/Jewish District. Again, if you get treated and transported by them, you nor your insurance company will get a $1000 bill because they don't charge!

I couldnt find it quickly on YouTube but another video was them interviewing the medics/1dr and the family of a cardiac arrest survivor. Basically the wife called Hatzolah because her husband collapsed, first unit was on scene in 2 minutes and even a medic and Dr. showed up with ALS equipment. After multiple shocks, medications and even an IO, they finally restored his heartbeat, transported to the hospital where he had a Quad bypass and survived. Although Hatzolah is not quite a full fledged EMS Agency, not many ambulance/FD's have Doctors treating patients in the field and for FREE
 
You seem hung up on the FREE part.
 
Billy D said:
I just like pointing that out. I hate paying for 911/PD/FD services via taxes and getting a bill in the mail when I use it too. Almost seems like double billing.
Click to expand...
It is exactly that. But shhhh. Don't let them hear you lol.

I'm just saying, free is good, but not always the best. In the example of the video, I see a lot of problems with what is happening; reckless disregard, disorganized response, too many people, etc.
 
Billy D said:
I just like pointing that out. I hate paying for 911/PD/FD services via taxes and getting a bill in the mail when I use it too. Almost seems like double billing.
Click to expand...
NPO said:
It is exactly that. But shhhh. Don't let them hear you lol.

I'm just saying, free is good, but not always the best. In the example of the video, I see a lot of problems with what is happening; reckless disregard, disorganized response, too many people, etc.
Click to expand...
Im not disagreeing with you at all. Their downside, and obviously its because they arent a full agency, is that they really dont assign units to calls they just announce a call and whoever responds, responds.
 
In many religious communities, folks would rather that the responders are aware of particular sensitivities/customs. Hatzolah fills that niche, for one. And since many religious groups live in similar/nearby communities, when your grandparent is having trouble breathing, it's awfully nice to have a trained neighbor who can come and assist with a full kit.

But in all seriousness, it's the sensitivity to particular customs that helps the most, I think - if I had a particular sensitivity to modesty for religious reasons, I'd want somebody who knew that. Or if I spoke a different language as my primary language (yes, this is true), I'd rather have a person who was comfortable communicating with me in that language caring for me.

Wouldn't you?
 
Jim37F said:
....I've never heard of/seen them here in LA..:confused: I've only ever heard of them around NYC which still has volunteers running around mixed in with hospital run units mixed in with FDNY..
Click to expand...
There is one in LA CO. they are by Cedars. They use use a vanbulance up till maybe 5 years ago. They still operate and every now and then you'll see them roll into the ER bay. In la the stick to mostly Jewish neighborhoods. Now a days you don't see them as active. I remember seeing them going through county for their one unit but that was years ago as well.
 
however npo from the legal side if its just a first responder, it is green lights for ems not blue(fire). personally i find it extremely difficult to believe every one of those cars is part 800. but thats just me.

Epi ems, why dont they just volunteer like everybody else in those communities? hatzolah was not designed for the united states originally.

This is my opinion and facts based on what i know in my state.
 
NysEms2117 said:
however npo from the legal side if its just a first responder, it is green lights for ems not blue(fire). personally i find it extremely difficult to believe every one of those cars is part 800. but thats just me.
Click to expand...
It definitely wouldn't surprise me if they're Part 800 compliant. Part 800 has pretty minimal requirements for BLS EASVs, as far as I can tell.

NysEms2117 said:
Epi ems, why dont they just volunteer like everybody else in those communities? hatzolah was not designed for the united states originally.
Click to expand...

In NYC, there's lots of volunteer agencies. However, this agency serves, in the main, a very specific community - not that they don't help others, just that they focus on a particular user group that would prefer to deal with people comfortable with their specific needs.

What do you mean by not designed for the US?
 
To my knowledge and understanding hatzolah was designed for Israel, where the traffic laws were not as structured. The concept was what is considered in the states to be the EMR\emt basic, where they can have x amount of people in a community, and if somebody goes down they can do some interventions, while the ambulance was navigating traffic for minutes, sometimes hours. However they have expanded now, and are mainly on motorcycles, i think there is a TEDX talk about hatzolah and the creation for it. in my opinion it is redundant, we have POV responders too, that are legal. And if somebody would like to make the language argument which is perfectly fine, ABC's don't change, you can staff an ambulance of 3 people speaking 3 different languages (most likely in NYC). Now i havent been in the city for a few years, but i dont think it has changed that much. Did this clear some stuff up?

Again this is my UN-OFFICAL knowledge of Hatzolah ems.
 
NysEms2117 said:
To my knowledge and understanding hatzolah was designed for Israel, where the traffic laws were not as structured. The concept was what is considered in the states to be the EMR\emt basic, where they can have x amount of people in a community, and if somebody goes down they can do some interventions, while the ambulance was navigating traffic for minutes, sometimes hours.
Click to expand...
your knowledge and understanding is grossly inaccurate. Hatzolah was formed in Brooklyn NY in the 1960s. http://www.hatzolahems.org/about.html

I am not saying I like them, or agree with what they do, but instead of asking a bunch of random people about an organization you know nothing about, why not pick up the phone and ask some questions yourself? or do some research on the internet, and check out all the different Hatzolah's around the world?
 
NPO said:
It is exactly that. But shhhh. Don't let them hear you lol.

I'm just saying, free is good, but not always the best. In the example of the video, I see a lot of problems with what is happening; reckless disregard, disorganized response, too many people, etc.
Click to expand...
So 7 people responding to a call in 7 cars all with medical equipment is too many people but 5 people responding in a truck with 500 gallons of water is not?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top