Hatzala LA from CJ STUDIOS on Vimeo.
While New Yorkers take for granted the existence of Hatzala, having a volunteer emergency medical service catering to the medical needs of the Jewish community isn’t always a given for those who reside outside the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area.
While many out of town communities provide some level of emergency response to their residents, the level of service varies from location to location. While most local Hatzala corps prepare their members for the typical medical emergency, given their proximity to the San Andreas Fault, Hatzolah of Los Angeles has taken the extra precaution of preparing their members for earthquakes.
Founded some fifteen years ago by former New York Hatzala members who relocated to the West Coast, Hatzolah of Los Angeles has evolved over time, going live just days before 9-11. While they originally acquired their first ambulance approximately five years ago, Hatzolah of Los Angeles wasn’t licensed to transport patients until just three years ago. As Hatzolah members are Emergency Medical Technicians, not paramedics, they use their quick response time of 60-90 seconds to get to the scene first and provide basic life support until the fire department can respond to a call. Working hand in hand with both local fire and police departments and consulting with New York Hatzala as needed, their three ambulance corps serves 7500 families in the communities in a twelve mile square radius.
The recent devastation that has struck Japan has shown how entire areas can be decimated by a natural disaster and Hatzolah of Los Angeles has taken disaster preparedness to the next level. Working on the assumption that streets could be impassable and hospitals could be closed during a natural disaster, they have arranged several casualty collection points at local schools within the frum community, where people could get basic medical care. Fully equipped with medical supplies, generators and cots, these facilities could provide medical services to fifty people and possibly house up to 500 people.
Join Izzy M. of VIN News and Yosef Shidler of CJ Studios for an exclusive VIN News video interview with members of Hatzolah of Los Angeles.
A Special thanks to civil trial attorney Baruch C. Cohen for arranging this interview and Ari Stark for his time involved.
A Special thanks to civil trial attorney Baruch C. Cohen for arranging this interview and Ari Stark for his time involved.
