"HEROES" - Hatzalah of Far Rockaway 2014

years and years ago I was sitting down at the table with my wife and I said Beth I made a deal with hakes baru and the deal goes like this hes baru I'm going to take care of your children please please take care of my children [Music] the dedication of the members often isn't seen by the public it's something that happens at 2:00 in the morning at 4:00 in the morning when it's freezing cold whether it's a question of leaving the Seder leaving daving and rash Kipper leaving a family Sim because someone else needs help when our dear son's life was on the line who was there to respond literally within 60 seconds within 90 seconds leaveing 3:00 in the middle of a Friday night to come and to literally save our son's life our members who literally have no day have no night no shabas no y they give everything up for their Community it's incredible the sirens and the Glamour and the the loud walkie-talkies that's not what a hot solo member is it's the quiet times when most of the other people in the community are enjoying with their families their wives their children having that time that nothing will disturb it they shut off their phone I'm not taking any calls from work well the M shuts off his parasa phone but he doesn't shut off his at solone you definitely feel that Adrenaline Rush every time the radio beeps sometimes you'll hear it and it'll say any any units in wo and it might be West Ham but I'm used to hearing Woodmere so that'll sort of give me a little Skip it's a way of life it's not just going on a call it's it's changing everything about what we do at night you have to lay out pants so that you have your radio and your wallet and everything in it and everything always has to be ready at the drop of a button timing is everything that difference of just a few seconds can make the difference between a person being able to sit and learn for another 20 years Oran have no mental abilities or be very severely debilitated that's what it means to be on call for hat Sola that's what it means for a person to take this awesome responsibility and that's to me the definition of a hero the members have lives separate apart from hatala it's the families the children the wives the parents the people who are depending on the member to be doing something else at that time who are ultimately paying the price for the members dedication devotion every member of at is making sacrifices Vis their of respective wives not only their spouses but their children giving up a valuable family time it's countless times countless hours but they see you going out doing whether it's at night whether it's leaving the Shop's table whether they hear the door open and the door close at 3:00 in the morning they know Daddy's going out on a call to Save a Life I'm teaching my kids that when someone needs you you go no matter what you're in middle of you're going to drop it and you're going to go help that person my kids are definitely proud of their father and my husband that he's on aella you know it's a big deal in our house they've been told that they get a Mitzvah every time I go on an emergency and it's true them and my wife have 100 times more she knows that her sacrifice is just as big as my sacrifice when she's after a long day of her work she's feeding the kids getting them ready for bed and I'm supposed to be home and I'm not home that's her sacrifice when they're not home at supper they're not home toaz par with the children when they're not at a family table singing ziros but they're out on a call the wives are giving up their husbands at that moment and it's a tremendous zus and credit to them that they willingly do this they complain about it I look at what he does and I'm I'm proud to be his wife and know that he's able to go out there and help people and all the things he's done and all the people that come over to me and say my God your husband helped me and saved my life and it just makes me feel great I think it's very nice that we're out there and we get all the credit but the bottom line is that the guys behind the scene who make everything happen and make sure all our equipment is up to date and that when we need something we have it I mean they're the heroes that's that's for sure as great a feeling it is when you're able to help somebody and be in the right place at the right time and get somebody through through their hard time sometimes it doesn't work out so well and there's no worse feeling than having to pack up all the equipment and take everything outside of the house you know with the family there it's just it's heartbreaking but it's part of the dedication it's part of what you have to do you never forget the bad ones and they stay part of you um the rest of your life it's takes its toll on members you do CPR and a baby Sid's baby maybe and uh it never leaves you to having to tell a parent that a child their child is no longer with us never leaves you you never get used to something like that but we always know whether it's a minute later an hour later or 5 hours later there might be another tone alert that goes off and someone else needs us I've always found it very interesting when we talk about making an appeal for hatala we're not making an appeal for hatala we're making an appeal for ourselves unless you're able to do CPR on yourself you need hat Sola when the alert tone goes off and to know that there's another yid in need of your help that is the drive and that's what one yid does for another yid the feeling of making a difference and sometimes having Theus of saving a life is immeasurable it's all worth it to save that person's life to help that kid who hurt themselves to deliver that baby it's just a wonderful feeling to go to bed with saying I made a difference today the greatest satisfaction is seeing somebody that was in cardiac bre that you see in sh you see him walking in the street you see him around and he's fine and healthy it's amazing each and every one of you together with your children and your wonderful spouses by your SIDS we thank you we love you we appreciate you keep doing the amazing work that you're doing k they are truly Mal in many ways they truly literally save lives they truly are heroes