Freedom House Ambulance Service, the nation's first emergency medical service, was started right here in Pittsburgh and made up of Black folks from the Hill District. They built the foundation for the EMS system we know today.
Last month, I introduced a bill to award Freedom House with a Congressional Gold Medal to give them the recognition they deserve. Watch some of their story on The Pitt here👆🏽👆🏽
Representative Summer Lee
Key details about Freedom House:
Established in 1967 in Pittsburgh's Hill District, Freedom House Ambulance Service was America's first emergency medical service (EMS) staffed by trained paramedics, largely comprised of Black residents. It revolutionized emergency care by moving beyond basic transportation to Providing advanced, life-saving, pre-hospital care (CPR, defibrillation, intubation) in the field, setting the standard for modern paramedicine
Origins: Founded in 1967 to serve Pittsburgh's underserved Black community, it was a partnership between local activists, the Maurice Falk Medical Fund, and Dr. Peter Safar.
Training: Paramedics underwent an intensive 32-week program, including 300 hours of training in anatomy, physiology, and advanced medical procedures, notes Team Rubicon.
Innovations: They were the first to perform field diagnostics, use portable defibrillators, transmit data to hospitals via radio, and deliver advanced care while en route to the hospital.
Legacy: Despite saving hundreds of lives, the service was shuttered in 1975, and its personnel and operations were absorbed into the new municipal EMS service.
Recognition: Their pioneering work set the national standard for modern paramedicine, and they are the subject of the book *American Sirens*
Three of the original Freedom House Ambulance paramedics were in attendance along with one of the founders:
George McCary III, veteran paramedic and part of the original training program established by Dr. Peter Safar, known as the “father of CPR.”
John Moon grew up in the Hill District saw first-hand the neglect his neighborhood experienced, and joined Freedom House to make a difference.
Mitchell Brown was trained as a medic in the Air Force, and became the Operations Manager for the ambulance service.
Phil Hallen, an original founder and believer in the Freedom House mission, who provided funding for the service through his work with the Maurice Falk Medical Fund.