Monticello Police Chief Defends Hatzolah After Bystander Questions Their “Noise For Fun”

A medical emergency in Sullivan County this morning underscored the critical work of Hatzolah�s volunteer responders and the trust they have earned across the community.

On Friday morning, a woman flagged down a Hatzolah volunteer after another woman nearby began feeling faint. The volunteer quickly began medical care and called for additional assistance, including an ambulance and paramedics.

While a paramedic was still responding from about a mile away, a bystander stopped Monticello Police Chief David Lindsay, who happened to be waiting at a traffic light, to complain about emergency vehicles using lights and sirens.

�Why are these people always driving around with lights and sirens? It�s just noise for fun. Why are we allowing this?� the bystander asked, referring to Hatzolah.

Chief Lindsay later described his calm response to the woman. �In my experience, Hatzolah responds to thousands of real emergencies in Sullivan County every year,� he said. �With the most up-to-date equipment and technology, I know they�re for real.�

Lindsay followed the paramedic to the emergency scene out of concern, and said what he saw confirmed Hatzolah�s professionalism.

�When I arrived,� he explained, �I saw a patient � a non-Jewish woman � being treated with the utmost dignity and professionalism by Hatzolah volunteers. This was clearly not a game. This was lifesaving work.�

He added that if he encountered the same bystander again, he would share what he saw: �Hatzolah is out here saving lives, and they do it for everyone, not just their own.�

Hatzolah noted that its members respond to people of all backgrounds, 24/7, whether on holidays, weekends, or in the middle of the night.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

8 Responses

  1. The police officer should have brought her to the scene and asks her if she calls that fun

    And why didnt he tell her �Hatzolah is out here saving lives, and they do it for everyone, not just their own.� When she first confronted her

  2. This is a genuine question from a Haredi lady in Eretz Yisroel. Does Hatzola have a written heter from one one of the US gedolim to respond to all emergency calls on Shabbos and Yon Tov without any idea who the victim is?

  3. Sima B; All Hatzola branches operate under the guidance of local Rabonim. Feel free to direct your question to them.

  4. i don�t know what the rules are there, but here they are NOT paramedics, and they are not allowed to perform medical procedures. which means they provide very limited first-aid, and need to call the real ambulance service anyways. for serious emergencies, such as cardiac calls, in this community, hatzolah is a waste of precious seconds.

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