ROL: An argument between a local ambulance company and Orthodox Jewish EMTs over a car-crash victim Tuesday night has escalated into a battle of rumors on the Internet. Posters on theyeshivaworld.com site (HERE) claimed that Hatzalah EMTs, who are part of Sullivan County’s summer emergency services plan, were told to leave a car crash Tuesday night.
Fallsburg police Detective Sgt. Simmie Williams said the incident started after a woman crashed her truck on Pleasant Valley Road near the Bais Rochel camp in South Fallsburg. The fire department was in charge, stabilizing the truck and trying to free the driver.
EMTs from Hatzalah and Mobilemedic, the county’s sole commercial EMS company, were there.
At some point, paramedic Albee Bockman, the head of Mobilemedic, and Hatzalah EMTs argued over who would take the woman, who is not Jewish, to the hospital. She was transported by Mobilemedic.
“They were not told to leave the scene. We welcome all the help we can get,” Bockman said. He declined to comment any further until he meets with Hatzalah, Fallsburg police and the state Health Department.
Fallsburg town officials said the argument was all that happened. Supervisor Steve Levine met yesterday with Hatzalah, fire and police representatives.
Levine characterized the incident as a misunderstanding.
“We’ve always had a good relationship with Hatzalah. We’ve always had mutual respect,” said Levine, who’s also a firefighter. “We ironed out some things, and we came to an understanding. I think we’ll be okay.”
The meeting wasn’t about pointing fingers, said Steve Proyect, a Fallsburg fire commissioner who participated. “It was, what can we do to improve the situation,” he said. “It’s going to be a long summer. There’s lot of people here. I think it’s good we had this meeting.”
They may start meeting monthly to prevent new problems, Proyect said.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
I think a protocal needs to be worked out. Maybe this’ll be an incentive for EMS to rush to the scene to get there b 4 Hatzolah. Who know how many lives it may save?
It would prob be a good thing to have meetings every so often.
Don’t really understand why Hatzolah would be adamant about transporting a patient of non-Jewish lineage if MM is standing there ready and willing to transport the patient. Can someone explain what really transpired at this accident scene? Something in the reporting of this story to the print media makes no sense.
This what we need now, more (negative?) publicity for the Jews.
See? I KNEW that everyone was blowing this out of proportion. Hatzaloh and the local Catskills police and FDNY have worked together for years. I found it so hard to believe many of the elements in the rumors people were batting back and forth.