The New York State Department of Health says an all-female volunteer EMT company seeking a license to operate an ambulance has been “effectively denied,” but the decision can be appealed.
For 50 years, Hatzoloh, the male volunteer ambulance corps, has served the community, but it doesn’t accept women paramedics
Judge Ruchie Freier and volunteers in Boro Park applied for a license to operate an ambulance for the Ezras Nashim organization that provides medical treatment for females in parallel to Hatzolah.
“Because this application did not receive enough votes to be approved at the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council meeting, it was effectively denied. There is an opportunity for the applicant to appeal to the State Emergency Medical Services Council,” the Department of Health said in a statement.
I don’t know any details of this case but it seems strange. Why would they deny it?
Is this going to lead to them closing down hatzolah?
Hatzolah used their clout to make sure that ezras noshim does not succeed. While I personally would call hatzola, (their response time, etc..) I dont think its ok to shut down ezras noshim. Ruchie Freier knows her rights, and she will get this to happen. What does not kill them outright, will make ezras noshim stronger.
Listen to the recent headlines halacha podcast for some horror stories and testimonials re Ezras Nashim…
I’ve heard some horror stories about Hatzalah too, the most recent one I heard told to me by a member of the family involved. this is not to denigrate, but an unfortunate fact of life in emergency service industry.
Ezras Noshim was initiated by competent, trained individuals to perform a specific and very important service for the women who choose to use that service. Anyone in the community who tried to interfere, whatever their own motivation, did not accomplish anything good no matter how they try to convince the world.
hatzalah was established with extraordinary effort for the purpose of saving lives. To try to establish hatzalah services for feminist reasons is outrageous.