Over the past 36 hours Hatzalah has responded to an array of emergency calls. Generally, streets have been impassable including routes to local hospitals. Due to road conditions we have been forced to stage the ambulances on larger roads and either bring the patients to the ambulance via SUVs or continue to transport patients to the hospital in SUVs.

Maneuvering emergency response vehicles and ambulances around the community will become more challenging over the next few days. As people begin to shovel snow into the streets, move cars out of driveways and drive non snow friendly vehicles around the community, streets may become even more impassible. As you begin to dig out, please do not block streets further with snow and vehicles. Please make sure that you leave enough space for emergency vehicles to pass.

During this storm Hatzalahs challenges have been overcome due to the help and dedication of its many responders, dispatchers and service units. In addition, many outside of Hatzalah have assisted in our emergency response efforts.

Our many thanks goes out to our shabbos snow removal team, John, Jorge, Fransisco and Horhay.

To the Gutmans, Ari Lichtman, Frank Storch, Herman Berlin and TLK Landscaping for donating chains, plowing, bobcat and SUV equipment.

To Eli Harris  and Chavarim for their snow assistance.

To the responders, dispatchers and service units for keeping every call answered and for going beyond their call of duty during this difficult storm.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)