(Courtesy of Bergen Hatzalah) The New Jersey Department of Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) recently inspected Bergen Hatzalah’s operations, marking the final step in the organization’s state licensure process. Bergen Hatzalah Emergency Medical Services Inc. is the Chevra Hatzalah division based in Bergen County, New Jersey.
“Many New Jersey residents do not even realize an EMS agency in New Jersey can operate without being licensed by the State Department of Health,” said Bergen Hatzalah Chief Joshua Hartman. “While some volunteer ambulance corps elect not to pursue OEMS licensure and the responsibilities and authorizations that come along with this oversight, Bergen Hatzalah’s leadership decided early on to pursue state licensure. Being accountable to the Department of Health is important for the confidence of our patients and demonstrates governmental verification of Bergen Hatzalah’s commitment to the highest quality of patient care. We’re extremely thankful to the state’s Office of Emergency Medical Services, our medical advisory committee, our generous supporters, and most of all, our dedicated volunteers, for guiding us to this day.”
Over the last year, nearly a dozen Bergen Hatzalah volunteers have dedicated hundreds of hours towards the licensure process, from sourcing the right vehicles to equipping them beyond the state’s minimum requirements and compiling the hundreds of documents the state requires for the process.
“We’re extremely thankful not only to the members rushing to save lives within our community, but also to those who’ve dedicated such significant amounts of time, behind the scenes, ensuring that our members and our fleet of vehicles are ready to respond at a moment’s notice,” said Bergen Hatzalah Chief Steven Kirschner.
Bergen Hatzalah launched operations on September 3, 2021. It can be summoned via 201-367-2222 or 212-230-1000, both of which ring through to Hatzalah’s state-of-the-art dispatch center, the only nongovernmental dispatch center in the United States with the rights and capabilities to obtain blocked caller ID information (similar to some 911 call centers).
