About Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS is a non-profit organization, consisting entirely of volunteer EMTs and dispatchers, that provide 24/7 emergency medical services to the Passaic Clifton community.

The importance of an organization like Hatzolah is obvious. We are in the business of saving lives and helping people in their time of need during a medical emergency. The faster a Hatzolah member arrives on scene, the greater the chance of saving a critically ill patient. Every second that a patient is forced to wait for medical attention, drastically reduces that patient's survival rate. It's that simple.

Rabbeinu Yonah (Sharei Teshuva, Third Gate 71) teaches that "It is highly desirable that there be, in every city, a group of volunteers from among the enlightened who are prepared and ready for any situation in which a man or woman from Yisrael must be rescued (Hatzolah) from distress." We are prepared and ready.

But we don't only save lives. We encourage patients who may be frightened to go to the hospital to get needed care.  We reassure worried parents whose children have been injured. We transport patients to the hospital of choice (when medically advisable to do so) for better overall care. We will at times, stay behind and watch children so that parents can accompany a sick or injured child to the hospital. Hatzolah members are able to convey to a sick or injured patient who may be hesitant to go to the hospital on Shabbos or Yom Tov, how Halacha views such a thing, based on guidelines provided to them by Rabbi Aaron Cohen, Rabbi Yonason Sacks and Rabbi Menachem Zupnik (who make up the Rabbinical Committee of Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS) and other Poskim. This may ultimately save the patient's life, simply by explaining that it is permissible to go to the ER for treatment.

The Passaic Clifton Jewish community has grown and become aware of the vital services that Hatzolah provides. We can understand the reluctance some may have had in the past, to donate to an organization without solid Medical, Halachic, and Financial infrastructure. Therefore, a stable and unified structure including a Rabbinical Committee, medical oversight, a Board of Directors, an Operations Committee, and Unit Coordinators have been put into place. Click here to see who the people are that make up Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS.

Part of our effort to ensure quality care is to send surveys to the people we've helped. These surveys ask what they think we can do to improve the quality of care. Often a survey comes back with a beautiful thank you note. Please click here to see some of those notes.

Additionally, Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS is very proud to have a Halacha sefer on Hatzalas Nefashos authored by our Posek, HaRav Shmuel Meir Katz Shlita.

Besides the constant Continuing Medical Education classes given by our Medical Director, Dr. Michael Rosen and State of New Jersey authorized CME providers, Halacha shiurim are given on a regular basis to make certain that not only is the medical care provided top-notch, but that Halacha is a crucial component to Hatzolah as well. Rabbinical guidance is an integral element of this organization.

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS participates in promoting health and safety awareness, distributing literature electronically, through mailings and in local publications. Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS also promotes health and safety through hosting public events.

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS provides Ambulance standy-by and EMS coverage for community events.

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS is committed to working together with the Police, Fire and EMS Departments of Passaic and Clifton.

Hatzolah of Passaic / Clifton EMS enjoys an affiliation with the many Hatzolahs in the NY metropolitan area (click here to see a list of every Hatzolah website).

Below are links to two letters that were distributed to the Passaic Clifton community regarding Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS. Click on the images to open the PDF files. (You will need the PDF Reader to open the files below. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader)