Ezras Nashim Granted NYS Operational Approval
In a significant development, seventeen months after a group of Orthodox women announced their plans to bring tznius to emergency medical care by founding an all female corps of emergency medical technicians to assist with labor, delivery and other emergency situations, the New York State Department of Health has given its approval to the fledgling agency.
A letter obtained by VIN News dated February 15, 2013 and signed by the Deputy Director of Operations at Albany’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services granted the appropriately named Ezras Nashim a Basic Life Support First Responder agency code number.
As previously reported on VIN News, Ezras Nashim has devoted endless hours in its efforts to provide women with dignified and modest emergency medical care, despite criticism by some factions. Earlier plans for the women to become a separate division of Hatzalah were shelved in favor of creating a new agency and the group was endorsed by Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, a prominent halachic authority.
Ezras Nashim currently has forty certified EMTs and according to attorney Ruchie Freier who has spearheaded the group’s efforts, another twelve women are currently training to become certified. Freier herself has received EMT certification after taking the classes together with her mother this past summer.
“When I got involved with Ezras Nashim, I realized that I couldn’t advocate for these women properly without becoming an EMT myself,” Freier told VIN News.
Ezras Nashim received its first approval from the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York City in late January, the first step in the process of receiving approval from the State’s Department of Health.
“Everyone, including the health department has been extremely supportive of our cause,” explained Freier. “The aspect of Jewish women helping other Jewish women was a real factor here and people saw that religious women can be go getters who are dedicated and committed to championing for modesty in a proud way.”
Ezras Nashim hopes to begin providing service in the near future and will have its own hotline and dispatcher. Medical transports will be done by a private company with the fire department serving as backup. EMTs will rotate on call 24/7 and will be met at the patient’s home by the transport service. Every EMT will carry an oxygen tank, epi-pen and an automated external defibrillator in her vehicle. Those members that do not drive will be paired up with other women that do.
“We are aware that there are many women who don’t drive,” said Freier. “And sometimes in a labor and delivery situation these are exactly the type of women you need on that call.”
Freier hopes to step up the training for her group of EMTs and will be working with two hospitals to provide an emergency room rotation program as well as a labor and delivery rotation program to provide advanced training to all personnel. She hopes in the future to set up a mechanism for frum women to train as paramedics as well.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” explained Freier. “We need to plan fundraising, more recruiting and further training but we couldn’t do that until we were an official legal agency. There has been so much behind the scenes work to get us to this point and the siyata dishmaya we have had has been incredible. The Health Department, the Fire Department, even the regulatory agency all knew who we were and they have been extremely supportive of our efforts.”
The plans for Ezras Nashim were first announced on Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s weekly radio show in September 2011 and Hikind congratulated Mrs. Freier on Ezras Nashim’s latest accomplishment.
“We believe in the concept of modesty and from the beginning Ruchie Freier was concerned about displaying sensitivity to women in emergency medical situations, particularly those who are about to give birth” said Hikind.
“From day one Ezras Nashim has gone about this the right way, talking to rabbanim and people in the community. They are an example to all of us that when you fight for something you believe in, Hashem will help you.”
Anonymous
Yay!
Rachel
They should introduce the org. to CH! Mrs Clapman Mrs. Horowitz and Mrs. Vail and another 7 women who are doctors and nurses.
great idea
one big question though
if they will need to call the FDNY ambulances for help with transportation, then how will that be more tznius
I hope they can figure this out
Mazel Tov
Good for you! Thanks for finally taking on a long standing community need. This will bring a much needed element of respect and consideration to the recipients of help.. and general character improvement to some of the givers of help. It’s about time.
To Rachel
There are many more nurses, inside and outside of C.H. That’s not the chiddush here.
The lack is in EMTs working in a Hatzolah-type setting, until now which was open to men only. Here’s a “female” Hatzolah.
Anonymous
To #3-I have nothing to do with how things work but I would think transportation is not the same as treatment.I doubt the women that use this service think that men are totally out of the picture.
TO #6
As a woman, there are times when you’d rather not have any men whatsoever there, except your husband if one is married. One would feel a lot more comfortable that way. If it’s a man driving then they are still there and privy to what’s going on, and can see what’s going on, so if there’s a way to do it without men, all the better.
I am referring to situations that are extra sensitive to a woman’s privacy.
chaim
this is a start to a good thing .. unfortunately men have been showing up to births and wanting to be inside more then needed and this is NOT fare to patient and NOT tznius … of course men can be there and help question was how many and why did so many show up at births ?? and this is what they want to stop .. unfortunately there are stories ( could be NOT true ) how husbands were asked to leave the room only to have space for more unneeded members .. if this is true this is the sad part .. so i hope things can be worked out between the two jewish organizations such as men doing the driving of ambulance and women attending the births .. kol tuv hatzlacha
great
i think its a great thing to have a lady when needed if its done in a tznius way i would love to be one of the women how do you go about it?
Anonymous
So what about when the woman gets to the hospital?What if the emergency room doctor is a man?
Good News
This is good news. The Rebbe was against women going to male health care professionals when an equally qualified female was available.
the overweight
What is going to happen when they show up to a call and its a 350lb woman and they need to get her down a few flights of stairs? And their male backup is delayed????
Anon
Great Question.
s
that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help all of those that aren’t 350 lb!
Finally, a long needed project!
In answer to #3 question about NYPD transport: The men owning the ambulance will ONLY drive. That is not a problem any more than a car service driver. It is the ATTENDING EMTs who need to exam the woman in labor, who should be women only, for Tznius. This is a tremendous accomplishment! It is planned for Boro Park and Kensington only for now as that’s where the EMTs live. Hatzalah did not want to partner with women as attending EMTs for women’s issues and therefore they went independent. Who would want 6 Rabbonim or Yungeleit with beards from their block in their bedroom watching them deliver? It’s about time someone thought of this
CatskillCat
This is a terrific idea whose time has come! What is needed in a labor call is a competent, caring woman in attendance, not the Hatzalah neighbor or the pregnant woman’s husband’s chavrusa or the man from the grocery store where she shops. Tznius is always a concern, and it doesn’t go away because a woman is in labor. Now, at last, women (and men) can have both. It isn’t good for a bunch of religious men to attend a birth in the name of “pikuach nefesh” when there are trained female EMT’s available.Throughout history and in all cultures, women have helped women through labor and delivery. It is right and good for women to reclaim this job. Remember, it was Shifra and Pua who were delivering babies, not Moshe and Aron!
I'm not sure
Is it only for deliveries or will they treat heart attacks, strokes, broken bones, MVA etc?
Ch'er
What a great Idea I can’t wait until it’s in here in the heights. I then a trained lady can respond just as good as any man and we’ll have more people responding to our emergencies that may not need to leave “work”
So excited!!
This will be back up for home births! Now Hatzolah doesn’t need to have that achrayos anymore!
chaim
i could be wrong though in my opinion it seems like people are confused here .. there is a big difference when a man participates in the birth of a child and seeing all and a man just doing the transport … women are more tznius then men .. proof is when women go to mikvah women do NOT see other women during process … and by men it is one big room .. so i feel we should have some compassion for women who would like the comfort of a woman at the actual birth .. did respect go out the window for the patient and preferences of what they want ???
Anonymous
sorry but you sound like an idiot
just to be like thou
It is a good idea.
Some say dumb comments but tachlis if it is for ladies simple regular deliveraies and pregnancy matters why not?
If it is an emergency like complications or active child birth than obviously hatzolo will be called I think.
sounds like it is for the better
excellent idea!
I’m so happy that this is finally happening. I know there has been much politics involved since the men wanted hatzalah to remain an all maie group, for reasons mainly due to pacifying their egos….Once again, our community is doing what is right despite the fact that there are many that may disagree with this. Many women will thank you all so much!!
Mazal Tov
You ladies are wonderful! This issue has bothered me for a long time. If a woman has a choice, how much more comfort she will have to be surrounded by other women in her time of need and vulnerability? I don’t know why people are so against women EMTs, but I just want you to know that you are all an inspiration. I truly hope Hashem helps your organization to grow and spread to ther communities.
Ezras Nashim Member
For those who have posted in support of our organization, Kol Hakavod. And for the skeptics… well, you keep the fire within us burning quite strong, reminding us every day to keep at our goal. B”h we are closer than ever! For the poster who questioned what an Ezras Nashim might do in an emergency other than delivery and birth – EN members are fully trained, just as Hatzalah members are. We are NYS Certified EMTs, fully trained in all areas of emergency care.
Just A Goy Guy
I actually work for the private service they are using, I also used to teach driving to orthodox jewish girls. It is not so much a man but a man in their community who is a part-time health care provider.
They can handle a male full time doctor, who is known in their community as a doctor.
They could handle a stranger who they will most likely never cross paths with and is not part of their community.
What they can not, and understandably so, is their butcher, next door neighbor, the guy she says hi to at the shul every shabos seeing them exposed… That is what Hatzolah is.
And as many mentioned, Hatzolah is chaotic and unorganized with response. too many operators at the scene.
Ezras Nashim will dispatch a single woman or a pair of women. And then a two person professional EMS crew NOT part of their community or social life. The (possibly) male crew will only intervene if asked.
These women organized based on commitment and need. Any person disparaging them is wrong.