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The following is via WSVN:

A community is asking for the public’s help after some lifesaving equipment was swiped from an emergency medical service volunteer’s vehicle in Northeast Miami-Dade.

Wednesday night, a thief broke into the vehicle off of Northeast 171st Street and 12th Avenue and stole a backpack containing thousands of dollars worth of lifesaving trauma gear.

The vehicle was part of a non-profit organization called Hatzalah, comprised of licensed emergency medical technicians and paramedics who mostly serve the Jewish community. This local chapter of Hatzalah, serving North Miami Beach, has fully marked vehicles, although many of the volunteers drive around in their own cars.

Yaakov Fried, a Hatzalah volunteer and teacher in North Miami Beach, had his trauma bag filled with oxygen and medicine stolen Wednesday night. “There was an oxygen tank, and we have masks for that as well,” said Fried. “We have splints. I had cravats. We had different types of bandages and the equipment to take vitals.”

Hatzalah volunteers think the crook took the bag assuming something more valuable to them was inside. “They take the bag thinking it’s a bag full of Play Stations, and they open it up and say, ‘Wait a second, this is a bunch of trauma gear. What am I doing with this?'” said Zalman Cohen, Director for Hatzalah in North Miami Beach.

However, to the volunteers, the equipment is very valuable. “This is extremely important. This is lifesaving medical equipment. This is equipment you use to treat lifesaving, medical emergencies.”

Hatzalah is now hoping they can get their equipment back and that the thief will realize he or she has only stolen the organization’s ability to help people. “It’s a bit of a blow for us,” said volunteer Aitan Zacharin, “when we’re out there at 3 a.m. taking calls, and to have a setback like this where somebody just [steals] without any compassion to what we do and to the consequences of stealing medical, lifesaving equipment like this, it’s just very disconcerting.”

A similar incident occurred back in December of 2011 where the local chapter had one of their bags stolen. That equipment was later found in a dumpster.

If you have any information that can help the organization recover their property, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.