PA HR413

Freedom House Ambulance Service, founded in 1967 in Pittsburgh's Hill District, was the first U.S. emergency medical service staffed by professionally trained paramedics and ceased operations on October 15, 1975.

The service trained 25 Black men from the Hill District in a rigorous 32-week, 300-hour paramedic curriculum designed by Dr. Peter Safar, including six weeks of hospital-based instruction.

In its first year, Freedom House responded to nearly 5,800 emergency calls, transported over 4,600 patients, saved at least 200 lives, and achieved response times under 10 minutes in underserved Black neighborhoods.

The City of Pittsburgh ended the contract to establish its own ambulance service, which employed a largely white workforce despite being modeled on Freedom House's methods.

The resolution recognizes Black History Month by commemorating the 50th anniversary of Freedom House's closure and acknowledging its lasting influence on modern emergency medical systems nationwide.