(By Sandy Eller)
After nearly two years of planning and countless hours of training, a rapidly growing Jewish community located on England’s eastern seashore has launched its own emergency medical corps, known as Hatzola of Canvey Island.
Located approximately an hour from London, Canvey Island welcomed its first Jewish residents in 2016, the community quickly expanding to welcome Chasidic families who were priced out of the Stamford Hill housing market. EssexLive reported that as of six months ago, approximately 500 Jewish residents called Canvey Island home, and as the community began building its infrastructure, it was clear that Hatzola was an essential service that needed to built from the bottom up.
The Hatzola recruits underwent more than 300 hours of medical and legal training which included both level three and four First Response Emergency Care courses as well as several months of observation with Stamford Hill Hatzola and the East of England ambulance service. As Hatzola of Canvey Island launches, its eleven volunteers and five dispatchers will be working with the Canvey First Responders and will keep their skills fresh by undergoing refresher courses in addition to participating in weekly halacha and hashkafa shiurim given by Dayan Y.M. Pollack.
Hatzola of Canvey Island is awaiting delivery of a state of the art custom built MAN ambulance and is currently using a backup ambulance bought from Hatzola of Edgeware.
An introductory booklet had Hatzola of Canvey Island’s registered manager Elliott Hambling noting that while the ambulance corps’ launch had been slowed down by the pandemic, that reality brought with it benefits as well.
“These delays provided our loyal members with the opportunity for further training until we are able to ‘go live,’” observed Hambling. “The result of which is that this organization will commence operation having its members achieve a high level of qualification on day one that any other Hatzola in the country has to date.”
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One Response
Yes, this is a Kiddush Hashem of which they can be proud. In gratitude to each of the donors who contributed, even small amounts to help build Hatzola of Canvey Island, the organisers kindly made it their business to send a very informative email describing what they have been doing and achieving. Menshlechkeit of the first order. Everyone can learn a lesson from them how to do things right. Hatzlocho Hatzola!