Chevra Hatzalah was founded in the 1960’s by a small group of visionaries in the Satmar community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn who dedicated themselves to rushing oxygen to victims of sudden heart attacks or strokes. At that time a long wait for an ambulance was a common occurrence in New York City. Someone who suffered a heart attack or stroke frequently did not survive the experience. From that humble beginning sprung forth an organization which is today the largest volunteer ambulance corps in the world. Chevra Hatzalah in New York has more than a thousand volunteer EMTs and Paramedics who answer more than 250,000 calls each year with private vehicles and a fleet of more than 70 ambulances.

Hatzalah members were among the first responders to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Alongside other heroes, Hatzalah volunteers risked their lives to rescue, treat, and transport countless victims of the terrorist attack. In the process they earned great respect from their peers in the emergency service community.

Similar Hatzalah squads operate across the Hudson River in New Jersey including Lakewood, Passaic, Union City, and at the Jersey Shore.

Hatzalah spans the globe, with volunteers currently operating in Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, various cities in England, South Africa, Switzerland Belgium, and in communities throughout the State of Israel.