Form our inbox First of all thank you for the awareness you are bringing up for Shmiras Shabbos,
as a longtime monsey resident that grew up in Monsey and saw how monsey progressed from a small suburb into a busy city, I'm gratefull that you are speaking up for Shmiras Shabbos, which is out of hand in many ways not only in the fire department,
I live in the surrounding neighborhood to the 59 and I saw the fire at VIP collision, from where we saw it it looked like a few buildings on horizon where on fire from tge amount of smoke and how it looked like when we saw it first, so I'm not going to ask if the fire department were aloud to be mechalel Shabbos because that might be Pikach Nefesh,
But what I was really surprised was why did Chaveirim come to and why did they have to be mechalel Shabbos what is the heter for this???????????
I don't see in any way that chaveirim should be mechalel Shabbos for anything, the last few years chaveirim went out of the way from what it was originally founded for.
The spring hill ambulance crew there was most yiden, I'm not sure if you can do anything about it but atleast when you put out any paperwork it should also mention it because if your make a Mechuah on one think you need on the others too
Thanks again for being the voice of Shabbos
A concerned monsey resident
Our response:
I would like to answer you regarding your concern about chaveirim, Chaveirim did not come to the call as the Organization, some members came there by foot to observe just like a lot of residents in the area. The Chaverim car driven by the גוי did pass the area and some affiliated his appearance like he drove Chaveirim members, but that's not the case, no Chaveirim member had come there by car.
However regarding your general concern about Chveirim being מחלל שבת, some chaveirim members do carry radios on Shaboss, and this is done according to the psak of Harav Chaim favel Schneebalg and Harav Bestelel Tovie Wettenstein, and they appointed Harav Cheskel weiss to br the Chveirim מגיד שיעור for הלכות שבת and to monitor all הלכות שבת related issues, any questions regarding this psak od any other הלכות שבת issue in Haztala and Chaverim of Monsey feel free to call rabbi weiss @ 845.709.2181
Regarding your concern with spring hill and all other ambulance corps, there is a חויב to be מוחה, however we are not here to be מוחה only where we feel we could fix the problem, like here with establishing a Kosher fire company.