New Five Towns Hatzalah site

Two Hatzalah ambulances are now being housed on West Broadway and Forest Avenue at what was previously a gas and repair station, thus eliminating any previous zoning or community objections.

For the last three years, even through Superstorm Sandy, two Hatzalah ambulances were parked at the corner of Grant Avenue and West Broadway. A house at the corner had been bought and leveled. Hatzoloh fought and won a number of legal and zoning battles for use of the property, but has now sold that land and purchased what was once a Citgo station at 724 West Broadway. “The community didn’t want us there,” said Rabbi Elozer Kanner, one of the coordinators of the local Chevra Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County, regarding the previous location. “This is better. This worked.”

“There are no zoning issues at all,” at the current location, he said. “It was for sale and is a better fit community wise. The cost of the renovations will be miniscule, rather than building from scratch. So all in all it makes sense.”

The ambulances at the site serve North Woodmere, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, and Hewlett. Rabbi Kanner said that no one would be there, “only when there’s a call.” The building will be refurbished; they will keep the structure, put on new doors, change the façade and “make it pretty,” he explained. It will be used as an office, supply room and a place to park the ambulances. He pointed out that the gas tanks and gas pumps are being removed to remove the liability “in conjunction with the pollution. We don’t want any part of it.” The site will not be used for training. The new location “fits the needs of the community and Hatzalah,” said Kanner.

Rabbi Kanner noted that Hatzalah of the Five Towns and Rockaways, now in its 32nd year, will be holding its 32nd annual barbecue, its primary fundraising event, on April 21st. “We rely on it to raise the budget for the year,” he explained. He said that the yearly budget of $1.2 million is used to pay for insurance, drugs, equipment, training, telephones and radios. Hatzalah suggests a minimum donation of $250 per family.

Hatzalah was founded over 30 years ago by a few volunteers who saw the need to help save lives in Rockaway and Lawrence. It has grown to a contingent of about 100 licensed and equipped volunteers, physicians, paramedics and emergency medical technicians prepared to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They cover the area stretching from Belle Harbor to East Rockaway and North Woodmere. Many residents have been touched by their care; Hatzalah has responded to thousands of calls and saved many lives, responding within two minutes to calls for assistance. The volunteers live throughout the community making response times to calls faster and more efficient. Hatzalah volunteers are members of diverse professions including physicians, lawyers rabbis, plumbers, administrators and teachers. Currently, the local network of Hatzalah uses seven ambulances and provides life-saving medications, oxygen, CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) and AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators). They also transport patients to all area hospitals. Their website offers information on Jewish law pertaining to emergencies on Shabbat and how to handle them as explained by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, the halachik decisor (posek) for Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County and the rabbi (Morah D’asrah) of Congregation Shaaray Tefila of Lawrence. There is also information regarding requests for the Shabbos taxi, a Hatzalah emergency phone number sticker and CPR magnet.

Go to their website for further information, including halacha (Jewish legal) questions, www.hatzalahrl.org