212:. Freedom House Ambulance Service broke medical ground by training its personnel to previously unheard-of standards of emergency medical care for patients en route to hospitals. The paramedic training and ambulance design standards pioneered in the Freedom House Ambulance Service would set the standard for emergency care nationally and even internationally. Despite its successes, the ambulance service was closed eight years after it began operating.
438:
remaining were reassigned to non-medical or non-essential work. Many were placed in positions overseen by white employees with less experience. Of the 26 Freedom House employees who joined the city ambulance service, only half remained a year later. Ultimately, only five remained with the city ambulance service, and only one was promoted into a leadership position. In the late 90s, 98% of the
240:." The paper stated that up to 50,000 deaths each year were the result of inadequate ambulance crews and lack of suitable hospitals within range, drawing attention to the need for improved pre-hospital care. The severity of the situation in Pittsburgh was brought home when the former Governor of Pennsylvania and former mayor of Pittsburgh,
244:, suffered a heart attack and was transported to a local hospital by police. Lawrence had no brain activity when he arrived at the hospital and died after being removed from life support, a death that could have been avoidable with adequate pre-hospital care, in the view of the physician who treated him,
414:
In 1974, the Mayor announced plans for a citywide ambulance system to be staffed by police officers trained as paramedics. Faced with resistance from city council member Eugene DePasquale, the mayor agreed to fund the
Freedom House Ambulance Service contract for one more year. At the end of the year,
345:
Pittsburgh. According to data collected by Dr. Safar, the paramedics saved 200 lives in their first year of operations. Where slow service to black neighborhoods by the police had been a point of tension, the
Freedom House paramedics had a response time of less than ten minutes in most neighborhoods.
278:
Upon hearing that Hallen was working to improve ambulance service in
Pittsburgh, Safar reached out to him. Safar's daughter had died of an asthma attack following transportation to the hospital without provision of care en route, and he had previously worked on emergency pre-hospital care, including
406:
Freedom House
Ambulance Service's request to expand their contract with the city to cover additional parts of the city was denied by the mayor, despite their strong record. This denied them the chance to serve more affluent neighborhoods in which they would likely have been more able to collect the
372:
During a deadly surge in heroin use, the paramedics were able to contact local drug dealers and provide information on identifying signs of an overdose. The paramedics also notified them that they would provide medical assistance in case of emergencies without legal repercussions for those who sold
384:
Despite these successes, the
Freedom House paramedics faced racism from hospital staff and patients, as well as discrimination by the city government. The paramedics were sometimes assumed by hospital staff to be orderlies and were asked to mop the floor. White patients were often surprised by or
376:
Freedom House
Ambulance Service became a model across the U.S. and internationally, and was awarded a major grant to develop the first national standards for paramedics. Miami, Los Angeles, and Jacksonville would all follow the Freedom House model. Additionally, the ambulance model designed by Dr.
220:
Prior to the mid 1960s, ambulance service in the US was typically provided by either the police or a local funeral home. Such services provided, at most, basic first aid and rapid transportation to a hospital. In police-operated ambulances, the ambulance crew would typically load the patient into
437:
While the
Freedom House paramedics were hired, their crews were broken up, in violation of the agreement. Those with criminal records were fired. Pass/fail exams were instituted, covering materials the Freedom House paramedics had not been taught, resulting in the dismissal of many. Most of those
303:
The first cohort of
Freedom House Ambulance Service recruits consisted of 25 black men recruited from The Hill District, a low income, predominantly black neighborhood. At the time, local media referred to residents of the neighborhood as the "unemployables," and the recruits included men who had
402:
printed at the time accused the mayor of trying to eliminate the ambulance service to pander to the police union. Dr. Safar echoed this view, stating “racial prejudices with white police officers eager to maintain control of ambulances city-wide” were the cause of efforts to end
Freedom House's
344:
They came to be known for the high standard of care they provided and were frequently requested by callers over the police. Freedom House
Ambulance Service responded to almost 5,800 in their first year, and transported more than 4,600 patients, primarily in African-American neighborhoods in
410:
The Mayor also signed an ordinance barring the use of ambulance sirens in the downtown area, with noise complaints given as the reason. This slowed the paramedics when transporting patients to hospitals as well as their response time, allowing the police to reach more calls before them.
356:, cardiac care, and I.V. drug administration. The training Dr. Caroline provided would become the basis for the first paramedic curriculum, written by Caroline and adopted by the federal government in 1975. The data and studies conducted by Dr. Caroline shaped EMS practices for
367:
Freedom House had compassion for the community... They told me when you walk into a person’s home, you’re a guest. That’s the No.1 thing they brought to the table: They cared. They addressed everybody by their names. They respected them and asked permission before providing
311:
Dr. Peter Safar designed and implemented the paramedics' training, a 32-week, 300-hour course that included anatomy, physiology, CPR, advanced first aid, nursing, and defensive driving. Those who had not completed high school were helped in completing their GEDs.
397:
became Mayor in 1970. The mayor opposed public/private partnerships, believing services paid for by the city should be directly overseen by it. Phil Hallen of the Falk Fund stated that he believed racism was also a factor in Flaherty's opposition to the service.
274:
and the Maurice Falk Fund. The Falk Fund was headed by Phil Hallen, a former ambulance driver, who was seeking to improve responses to medical emergencies as well as create employment opportunities for African-American men in Pittsburgh.
325:, and Caroline eventually became Freedom House's first medical director. Stewart and Paris were also in the process of attempting to create a place that people in the Pittsburgh region could come to study emergency medicine.
434:, accepted a position as medical director of the new city ambulance service on the conditions that the Freedom House paramedics and dispatchers also be hired and that Freedom House ambulance crews be kept together.
283:
and advocating its use by laypeople. He offered his ideas on how a new standard of care could be provided by the new ambulance service. His ideas included intense paramedic training and improved ambulance design.
407:
fees they charged for ambulance service. During Flaherty's time as Mayor, the city began providing payment for the ambulance contract late, and cut its portion of the ambulance service's operating budget by 50%.
340:
in 1968, riding along with police on ambulance duty. The city contracted Freedom House Ambulance Service to handle emergency transportation in the downtown area and some predominantly black neighborhoods.
674:
888:
237:
315:
Dr. Safar worked with Dr. Ron Stewart and Dr. Paul Paris to create a training curriculum that would soon shape paramedicine across the globe. Dr. Safar would soon meet a young and ambitious
430:
All of the paramedics initially hired to staff the new city ambulance service which succeeded it were white. Then the previous medical director of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, Dr.
287:
Hallen contacted Freedom House Enterprises to help recruit paramedics for the new ambulance service. At that time, Freedom House Enterprises worked on civil rights projects including
255:
while funeral homes provided ambulance service in the suburbs. Wait times were often longer for service in predominantly black neighborhoods, especially in the economically depressed
636:
964:
363:
The Freedom House paramedics' relationships with the communities they served also aided in their effectiveness. According to one documentary maker who chronicled their history:
321:
304:
suffered long-term unemployment. Half of the recruits had not graduated high school. Some had criminal records, including felonies. The recruits also included veterans of the
790:
352:
became the medical director of Freedom House upon being recruited by Dr. Safar. She arranged ongoing training for the paramedics in such unprecedented areas as
911:
295:
meetings as well as offering job training and assistance with job searches to black Pittsburghers. Freedom House agreed to partner on the ambulance program.
221:
the back of a police van, and rush to the hospital. The U.S. medical system had yet to incorporate advances in emergency care made in battlefield medicine.
666:
319:
who while completing her medical schooling, would assist Safar, Stewart and Paris in compiling the new curriculum for Freedom House paramedics. This was
880:
858:
576:
1036:
1013:
1061:
1056:
439:
416:
28:
488:
378:
126:
1046:
1051:
628:
1041:
229:
led to more car accidents and more injuries far from hospitals, exacerbating this lack of medical care provided en route to hospitals.
336:
Prior to receiving their own ambulances, the Freedom House paramedics were pressed into service to help people injured during the
1018:
K. Hazzard, American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics, Hachette Books, 2022.
782:
333:
The Freedom House Ambulance Service program began in 1967, and started officially operating in 1968 with two ambulances.
947:
268:
280:
1031:
994:
850:
568:
201:
193:
140:
67:
468:
251:
In Pittsburgh, the city police handled ambulance service within the city, transporting patients via
337:
205:
107:
259:. Additionally, tension between police and the community made many reluctant to call the police.
373:
or used the drugs. This effort was followed by a dramatic drop in fatal overdoses in the city.
200:
with medical training beyond basic first aid. Founded in 1967 to serve the predominantly black
940:
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics
385:
resentful of black paramedics, and would sometimes refuse to be touched or helped by them.
8:
419:
to be staffed by non-police paramedics and the end of the contract with Freedom House.
288:
965:"How a team of Black paramedics set the gold standard for emergency medical response"
943:
480:
394:
241:
209:
912:"How a Black neighborhood association in Pittsburgh helped shape emergency medicine"
357:
222:
998:
431:
349:
316:
271:
153:
1025:
256:
377:
Safar and proved through use by Freedom House paramedics was adopted by the
484:
469:"Reviving Freedom House. How the storied ambulance company has been reborn"
226:
1014:
At Freedom House, these Black men saved lives" NPR article and book link
305:
252:
245:
233:
57:
238:
Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society
353:
136:
197:
427:
The Freedom House Ambulance Service closed on October 15, 1975.
629:"Paramedics of Freedom House: Empowerment Through Paramedicine"
399:
667:"How Pittsburgh's Freedom House Pioneered Paramedic Treatment"
16:
First American emergency medical service staffed by paramedics
292:
881:"How Pittsburgh's 'Freedom House' shaped modern EMS systems"
467:
Corry, Megan; Keyes, Casey; Page, David (March 25, 2013).
969:
916:
232:
In 1966, the National Academy of Sciences published a
393:Opponent of the Freedom House Ambulance Service,
1023:
440:Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
29:Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
622:
620:
618:
616:
614:
466:
379:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
267:The program received its initial funding from
127:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
956:
612:
610:
608:
606:
604:
602:
600:
598:
596:
594:
569:"Episode 405 Freedom House Ambulance Service"
844:
842:
840:
838:
836:
834:
832:
830:
828:
826:
824:
822:
820:
818:
816:
814:
812:
810:
808:
415:the Mayor then announced the creation of a
298:
776:
774:
772:
770:
768:
766:
764:
762:
760:
758:
756:
754:
752:
750:
748:
746:
744:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
730:
728:
726:
724:
722:
720:
718:
716:
714:
712:
591:
388:
710:
708:
706:
704:
702:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
805:
1037:Ambulance services in the United States
937:
903:
851:"The Forgotten Legacy of Freedom House"
780:
566:
562:
560:
558:
556:
554:
552:
550:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
328:
125:Ambulance design, later adopted by the
1062:African-American history in Pittsburgh
1057:1975 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
1024:
909:
689:
660:
658:
656:
654:
524:
522:
520:
518:
516:
514:
512:
510:
508:
506:
462:
460:
458:
456:
454:
196:in the United States to be staffed by
931:
848:
664:
626:
473:Journal of Emergency Medical Services
1047:Organizations disestablished in 1975
962:
381:as the official ambulance standard.
1052:1967 establishments in Pennsylvania
873:
651:
627:Karns, Jameson (October 15, 2015).
503:
451:
13:
987:
910:Davies, Dave (December 19, 2022).
14:
1073:
1042:Organizations established in 1967
995:"Freedom House Ambulance Service"
963:Wise, Akilah (November 5, 2022).
938:Hazzard, Kevin (September 2022).
891:from the original on 10 July 2020
861:from the original on 10 July 2020
677:from the original on 10 July 2020
639:from the original on 10 July 2020
491:from the original on 10 July 2020
793:from the original on 9 July 2020
579:from the original on 9 July 2020
403:ambulance services in the city.
567:Hazzard, Kevin (July 7, 2020).
190:Freedom House Ambulance Service
165:Dr. Ron Stewart, Dr. Paul Paris
20:Freedom House Ambulance Service
665:Beras, Erika (March 1, 2015).
1:
887:. Lexipol. January 31, 2014.
445:
322:Emergency Care in the Streets
281:cardiopulmonary resuscitation
215:
208:, it was staffed entirely by
183:The Maurice Falk Medical Fund
781:Hazzard, Kevin (June 2019).
262:
7:
849:Amato, Valerie (May 2019).
40:; 57 years ago
10:
1078:
422:
417:citywide ambulance service
141:emergency medical services
68:Hill District (Pittsburgh)
879:
194:emergency medical service
179:
175:Freedom House Enterprises
169:
159:
146:
132:
121:
99:
91:
73:
63:
52:
34:
24:
789:. the Atavist Magazine.
338:King assassination riots
299:Recruitment and training
206:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
108:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
389:Conflict with the mayor
942:. New York: Hachette.
783:"The First Responders"
573:99percentinvisible.org
370:
225:in the U.S. following
79:; 48 years ago
365:
77:October 15, 1975
787:magazine.atavist.com
329:Operation and legacy
1032:History of medicine
279:the development of
171:Parent organization
21:
350:Dr. Nancy Caroline
289:voter registration
19:
575:. 99% Invisible.
395:Peter F. Flaherty
242:David L. Lawrence
210:African Americans
187:
186:
56:Phil Hallen, Dr.
1069:
1009:
1007:
1006:
982:
981:
979:
977:
960:
954:
953:
935:
929:
928:
926:
924:
907:
901:
900:
898:
896:
877:
871:
870:
868:
866:
846:
803:
802:
800:
798:
778:
687:
686:
684:
682:
662:
649:
648:
646:
644:
624:
589:
588:
586:
584:
564:
501:
500:
498:
496:
464:
358:Magen David Adom
269:Lyndon Johnson's
148:Medical Director
114:
110:
87:
85:
80:
48:
46:
41:
22:
18:
1077:
1076:
1072:
1071:
1070:
1068:
1067:
1066:
1022:
1021:
1004:
1002:
993:
990:
988:Further reading
985:
975:
973:
961:
957:
950:
936:
932:
922:
920:
908:
904:
894:
892:
878:
874:
864:
862:
847:
806:
796:
794:
779:
690:
680:
678:
663:
652:
642:
640:
625:
592:
582:
580:
565:
504:
494:
492:
465:
452:
448:
425:
391:
331:
301:
291:and organizing
265:
223:Suburbanization
218:
172:
162:
149:
117:
112:
106:
83:
81:
78:
44:
42:
39:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1075:
1065:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1039:
1034:
1020:
1019:
1016:
1010:
989:
986:
984:
983:
955:
948:
930:
902:
872:
857:. HMP Global.
804:
688:
650:
635:. HMP Global.
590:
502:
449:
447:
444:
432:Nancy Caroline
424:
421:
390:
387:
330:
327:
317:Nancy Caroline
300:
297:
272:War on Poverty
264:
261:
217:
214:
192:was the first
185:
184:
181:
177:
176:
173:
170:
167:
166:
163:
160:
157:
156:
154:Nancy Caroline
150:
147:
144:
143:
134:
130:
129:
123:
119:
118:
116:
115:
103:
101:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
75:
71:
70:
65:
61:
60:
54:
50:
49:
36:
32:
31:
26:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1074:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
1029:
1027:
1017:
1015:
1011:
1001:. 8 July 2020
1000:
999:99% Invisible
996:
992:
991:
972:
971:
966:
959:
951:
949:9780306926075
945:
941:
934:
919:
918:
913:
906:
890:
886:
882:
876:
860:
856:
855:emsworld.com/
852:
845:
843:
841:
839:
837:
835:
833:
831:
829:
827:
825:
823:
821:
819:
817:
815:
813:
811:
809:
792:
788:
784:
777:
775:
773:
771:
769:
767:
765:
763:
761:
759:
757:
755:
753:
751:
749:
747:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
731:
729:
727:
725:
723:
721:
719:
717:
715:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
676:
672:
668:
661:
659:
657:
655:
638:
634:
630:
623:
621:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
607:
605:
603:
601:
599:
597:
595:
578:
574:
570:
563:
561:
559:
557:
555:
553:
551:
549:
547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
523:
521:
519:
517:
515:
513:
511:
509:
507:
490:
486:
482:
478:
474:
470:
463:
461:
459:
457:
455:
450:
443:
441:
435:
433:
428:
420:
418:
412:
408:
404:
401:
396:
386:
382:
380:
374:
369:
364:
361:
359:
355:
351:
346:
342:
339:
334:
326:
324:
323:
318:
313:
309:
307:
296:
294:
290:
285:
282:
276:
273:
270:
260:
258:
257:Hill District
254:
249:
247:
243:
239:
235:
230:
228:
224:
213:
211:
207:
203:
202:Hill District
199:
195:
191:
182:
178:
174:
168:
164:
158:
155:
151:
145:
142:
138:
135:
131:
128:
124:
120:
113:United States
109:
105:
104:
102:
98:
94:
90:
76:
72:
69:
66:
62:
59:
55:
51:
37:
33:
30:
27:
23:
1003:. Retrieved
974:. Retrieved
968:
958:
939:
933:
923:December 19,
921:. Retrieved
915:
905:
893:. Retrieved
884:
875:
863:. Retrieved
854:
795:. Retrieved
786:
679:. Retrieved
670:
641:. Retrieved
633:emsworld.com
632:
581:. Retrieved
572:
493:. Retrieved
479:(3): 70–75.
476:
472:
442:were white.
436:
429:
426:
413:
409:
405:
392:
383:
375:
371:
366:
362:
347:
343:
335:
332:
320:
314:
310:
302:
286:
277:
266:
250:
231:
227:World War II
219:
189:
188:
180:Affiliations
95:humanitarian
976:November 7,
671:www.npr.org
306:Vietnam War
253:paddy wagon
246:Peter Safar
234:white paper
58:Peter Safar
35:Established
1026:Categories
1005:2020-07-09
446:References
368:treatment.
354:intubation
216:Background
198:paramedics
161:Key people
137:Paramedics
84:1975-10-15
64:Founded at
348:In 1974,
263:Inception
25:Successor
889:Archived
885:ems1.com
859:Archived
791:Archived
675:Archived
637:Archived
577:Archived
489:Archived
485:23717921
236:titled "
139:staffed
133:Services
122:Products
100:Location
53:Founders
895:10 July
865:10 July
681:10 July
673:. NPR.
643:10 July
495:10 July
423:Closure
92:Purpose
82: (
74:Defunct
43: (
946:
797:9 July
583:9 July
483:
400:Op-eds
293:NAACP
978:2022
944:ISBN
925:2022
897:2020
867:2020
799:2020
683:2020
645:2020
585:2020
497:2020
481:PMID
152:Dr.
45:1967
38:1967
970:NPR
917:NPR
204:of
1028::
997:.
967:.
914:.
883:.
853:.
807:^
785:.
691:^
669:.
653:^
631:.
593:^
571:.
505:^
487:.
477:38
475:.
471:.
453:^
360:.
308:.
248:.
111:,
1012:"
1008:.
980:.
952:.
927:.
899:.
869:.
801:.
685:.
647:.
587:.
499:.
86:)
47:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.