NEW JERSEY – Hatzalah of Metrowest (formerly Hatzalah of West Orange & Livingston) proudly announces its formal expansion into Morristown and the growth of its fleet in West Orange & Livingston.
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Founded in September 2021, with a primary focus on West Orange and Livingston, Hatzalah
has provided the highest quality emergency medical care, regardless of race, religion, or
ethnicity, and at no cost. Operating 24/7/365, the all-volunteer organization is comprised of 25
Emergency Dispatchers, 34 EMTs, 2 ambulances, 2 emergency response vehicles, and has not
missed a single call for help.
Hatzalah has partnered closely with local municipalities by actively participating in “mutual aid,”
in which Hatzalah’s volunteers and ambulances respond to 911 calls.
Shael Sokolowski, one of Hatzalah of Metrowest’s founding coordinators, noted “It’s been
humbling to see the indelible impact that our volunteers have had on the lives – quite literally – of
more than 400 individuals who called us in their time of need. Emergency calls are never
transactional for us; our responders follow up and advocate for every patient, long after we
transfer care to ER staff.”
Hatzalah has also responded into a number of adjacent communities in Essex and Morris
county, including Caldwell, East Hanover, East Orange, Fairfield, Florham Park, Irvington,
Montclair, Newark, Parsippany, Roseland, South Orange, Springfield, Verona, West Caldwell,
and Whippany.
For Morristown, the availability of the nearby “full-service” Hatzalah provided ad-hoc support to
R’ Feivish Rosenberg, a long-time EMT in Morristown, who has cared for countless families
since moving to the area. The Morristown community includes not just the Rabbinical College of
America, but thriving family neighborhoods, and an active summer camp.
Recognizing the growing demand for a dedicated service, talks began with Hatzalah and
community leaders to prepare for launch. “As the Yeshiva and surrounding community have B”H
grown over the past decade, so has demand for a dedicated Hatzalah and we are blessed to
launch a branch of our own” said Rabbi Moshe Herson, Dean of the RCA.
“We’re grateful that Feivish built a strong foundation for volunteer response and are excited that
he will continue to provide care and mentorship through Hatzalah of Metrowest’s newly-formed
Morristown division,” said Ilan Rosenrauch, Hatzalah of Metrowest Coordinator, adding,
“Metrowest will feel familiar to those who reside in our local response areas within Essex and
Morris counties, and beyond.”
In addition to their life-saving emergency services, Hatzalah will also offer free CPR and First
Aid training to the entire community on an on-going basis Given Hatzalah’s geographic reach, there was a clear need to expand the fleet to include Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) to ensure that its EMTs can continue to reach patients in minutes. Each vehicle carries a full complement of equipment from life-saving medications to automated CPR chest compression devices. The ERVs also allow Hatzalah to improve its response in inclement weather.
Dov Brafman, CEO of Life Ride & Life Home Care donated the first vehicle, a 2022 Ford
Explorer equipped with an advanced safety and warning package. Mr. Brafman said, “Life is a
healthcare company based in Livingston, NJ, which services the surrounding areas. One of our
key priorities is to give back to the community, however we can. Hatzalah’s values, purpose,
and focus are aligned with ours and it’s a privilege to support the organization and community
through this life-saving gift.”
Andrea and Bryan Bier of West Orange, NJ donated the second, identically-equipped vehicle.
Commenting on the impetus behind their gift, “We are thrilled to be able to support new and
improved ways of saving lives in our community. We hope that by doing so, we make our
parents proud.”
Hatzalah also upgraded its ambulances to enhance patient care and better support provider
safety through the purchase of two Stryker moving devices, following a generous gift from an
anonymous community donor. These cots allow EMTs to meet each patient where they are.
Matthew Lipman, a Hatzalah of Metrowest Coordinator explains, “Our patients are seldom in the
“best” position when we arrive. The ability to raise and lower our stretcher at the push of the
button allows for a smoother and safer transfer. It also reduces the load that our volunteers
carry whenever patients are loaded and unloaded from the ambulance. This helps us to de-risk
a key driver of disability in EMS.”
Hatzalah also added a second Defibtech Lifeline ARM to its fleet, thanks to the generosity of
Barbara Berger and her children Neeli Margolis and Amos Berger. The device was donated in
memory of Dr. Yitzhak Berger, a Urologist who dedicated his life to caring for others with great
compassion.
This automated device allows Hatzalah’s EMTs to deliver consistent and high-quality
compressions at every point of a cardiac arrest. This is particularly important when moving the
patient from their home to our stretcher, from the stretcher to the ambulance, while en route to
the hospital, and when transferring the patient to the hospital. “The device truly improves patient
outcomes in their most vulnerable moment,” added Joshua Commer, one of Hatzalah’s
Coordinators.
The emergency number for Hatzalah of Metrowest is 973-604-4000.
For more information, visit www.hatzalahmetrowest.org
This Hatzala group to the best of my knowledge is not affiliated with the general group of Hatzalas in the USA due to the fact that it does not follow the rules that govern the organization.