Legacy of Black Pittsburgh ambulances gets new look
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Freedom House Ambulance Service's first day at Presbyterian University Hospital in Pittsburgh, c. June 16, 1968. Gift of Virginia "Ginny" Caligiuri. Photo: Courtesy of Heinz History Center
The Heinz History Center is digging deeper into the story of the country's first ambulance service that went beyond first aid, created by Black men in Pittsburgh.
Why it matters: The Freedom House Ambulance Service transformed emergency care in the U.S., but its history isn't widely known.
- Alonna Carter-Donaldson, associate curator of the center's Museum of African American History, tells Axios the Hill District program marked the first time that Black residents saw medical caregivers who looked like them and were empathetic to their needs.
Driving the news: Carter-Donaldson says the Freedom House story is getting more recognition because of a 2023 documentary by WQED and a mention in the first season of "The Pitt."
Catch up quick: Founded in 1967 by Hill District community leaders to address racial disparities in health care, Black residents were trained by medical professionals to administer lifesaving emergency care during a time when police officers were responsible for transporting patients to hospitals.
- Freedom House's five ambulances answered nearly 6,000 calls and saved over 200 lives in the first year, according to the history center.
- The service set the standard and became a model for EMS systems throughout the country.
Yes, but: The program ended in 1975 after Mayor Peter Flaherty agreed to transition members to city employment.
- However, the agreement was not honored, and most Freedom House paramedics lost their jobs.
Zoom in: The history center features photos and artifacts from the Freedom House as part of its "Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation" exhibition.
- The center is also compiling an oral history of the ambulance program's members from their descendants.
What they're saying: "The Freedom House story is definitely a hidden gem, particularly in Pittsburgh as well as nationally. But people are starting to learn more of their story and how they have impacted how we're being treated in the medical community today," Carter-Donaldson told Axios.
The bottom line: Freedom House Ambulance Service laid the groundwork for modern EMS nationwide, a legacy now getting long-overdue recognition.