FAQ

The following is a list of commonly asked questions. Click on each question to see the answer.

FAQ

The following is a list of commonly asked questions. Click on each question to the answer.

Most frequent questions and answers

  • State Certification – Volunteers have the same training and certification as 911 responders.
  • Rapid Response – Our goal is an average arrival time of 3 minutes or less.
  • Patient Advocacy – Advocate for our patients’ best interests.
  • Family Support – Comfort our patients’ loved ones and support their needs.
  • Around the Clock – 365 days a year -including Shabbat and holidays.
  • Free-of-Charge -Regardless of race, gender, religion or ethnicity.
  • Transport to Hospitals – Ambulances transport to hospital of choice.
  • Cultural and Religious Sensitivity – Unique to the Jewish community.

Hatzalah EMT’s and Paramedics are trained to assess and treat a wide range of medical emergencies, including:

  • Cardiac emergencies
  • Choking
  • Diabetic emergencies
  • Difficulty breathing
  • OB/GYN emergencies
  • Automobile accidents
  • Severe allergic reactions
  • Severe burns
  • Severe bleeding
  • Severe wounds
  • Slips and falls resulting in serious injury
 

All these examples have one thing in common: they are situations that are either life-threatening or have the potential to be life-threatening.

Hatzalah was founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Rabbi Hershel Weber in 1965, with a vision to improve rapid emergency medical response in the community. The idea soon spread to other Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in the New York City area, and eventually across regions, countries, and continents. Hatzalah South Florida, founded in 2008, was started in response to the requests of several Jewish communities in the Miami-Dade area. Our primary goal is to provide trained volunteers capable of responding to any type of emergency with the skills and equipment necessary to provide competent medical care. Since our volunteers are local, we may often be there within one-to-three minutes of the call coming in to our dispatchers. Our goal is to have an average on-scene arrival of less than three minutes.

Hatzalah South Florida currently has over 250 trained responders and 20 trained dispatchers. All Hatzalah responders are certified by the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s). We are always seeking new local volunteers to assist, and can help provide necessary training and support.

Yes. Continuing education training is mandatory, and enables us to provide the best care possible. Our EMT‘s and Paramedic  are required to attend periodic continuing education classes and/or drills, which ensures that each EMT and Paramedic will keep their skills current and ready when called upon in an emergency. Hatzalah itself is recognized by the Florida Department of Health as a provider of continuing education classes.

Aside from the federally-mandated HIPAA law, which legally prohibits healthcare providers from disclosing protected information to anyone other than a patient and the patient’s authorized representatives without their consent. Hatzalah’s priority is to protect the privacy of these we treat. Please do not ask any Hatzalah member about any emergency call or patient.

Hatzalah is a community organization operating under the auspices and direction of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of South Florida (Rabbi Pinchas Weberman, President) as well as our own Rabbinical Board that provides Halachic guidance. As mandated by our Rabbis, Hatzalah is totally independent and is not affiliated with any other Miami-Dade organization. We are, however, an affiliate of Central Hatzalah of New York, the oldest and largest volunteer emergency response organization in the world.

Hatzalah is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation funded only through private donations. One hundred percent of every dollar donated goes to fund Hatzalah operations, which includes equipment, training, transport and operational costs. All Hatzalah personnel are unpaid volunteers. Please click here to make a credit card donation, email us at info@hsfems.org for our wire information, or mail your contribution to: Hatzalah South Florida Non Profit Corp. 501(c)(3) Tax ID: 26-2219376 20201 NE 16th Place Miami, Fl 33179 Hatzalah never charges a fee to anyone receiving emergency patient care. Hatzalah South Florida does NOT receive funds from United Hatzalah of Israel.

We are always interested in receiving new applications for volunteer EMT’s, Paramedics, and dispatchers. Please call our office at 305-490-5274 or send an email to info@hsfems.org for more information. Expansion of Hatzalah services is completely dependent on having local residents volunteer to provide coverage in their communities.

Join Us

Email info@hsfems.org or call our non-emergency office number at 305-490-5274. If no one answers, please leave a message and someone will get back to you.

Yes. As part of its never-ending campaign to respond to existing medical emergencies, Hatzalah South Florida has embarked on an ambitious program of offering members of the community the opportunity to take special first aid and CPR classes. Such instruction might often mean the difference between life and death, especially in areas outside of our primary service areas, to which Hatzalah members are not able to respond in a timely manner.

The courses can be given in the following two categories:

(1) Basic First Aid

(2) Basic CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)

These courses will help you know how to best react for a variety of unexpected emergency situations ranging from “seemingly” simple kitchen accidents to more serious situations such as life-threatening heart attacks.

If you are interested in learning more about organizing one of the above classes, please email us at info@hsfems.org

Miami-Dade County: Miami Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Highland Lakes, Sunny Isles, Sky Lake, Highland Lakes, and Aventura.

Broward County: Hallandale, Hollywood and Lauderhill.

Palm Beach County: Boca Raton.

VOLUNTEERS
helping those in need
emergency calls
asking for help
MINUTE
Target average response time
emergency vehicles
to serve our community