A group of first responders who are focused on protecting select citizens in Ramapo are raising the eyes of local officials in Rockland County.
The group, Matzilei Aish, has a couple dozen members who respond to Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish communities in Ramapo.
“This is a rogue fire department that needs to be brought to task,” Rockland County Sheriff Lou Falco told LoHud.com. “If they want to join a fire department, that is what they should do. We don’t know the abilities of this rogue fire department."
They are asking residents to call them, instead of calling 9-1-1 to dispatch local firefighters, including the Monsey Fire Department and companies in Spring Valley.
Among the concerns from local officials are following state and national reporting standards.
The group has been known to respond to emergencies for a few years, Rockland County Fire and Emergency Coordinator Chris Kear told the newspaper. He said they were responding in their own vehicles and carried fire extinguishers.
"They have publicly and privately encouraged residents to call them directly, and not to call 911," Kear wrote. "In addition, they have been advertising their intent to expand into additional geographical locations.”
He added, “With the new addition of a ladder truck and their intent to expand, the potential of a very dangerous situation continues to grow."
While the Matzilei Aish members have not taken classes at their local fire academy in Rockland, they some believe they have taken Firefighter I training across the state line at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in New Jersey.
Some of the Rabbis who run the group have said that Matzilei Aish are not ready to respond to major incidents.
Local officials are monitoring the situation, with some being aware and others saying they have no knowledge of the group.
Concerns about the group’s operations and citizen safety have been brought to the state's Attorney General and the Department of Labor, of which the latter acknowledged they are investigating the group.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
