Bill > HR413

This resolution recognizes "Black History Month" in Pennsylvania by commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, which was founded in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1967 and was the first emergency medical service in the United States staffed by professionally trained paramedics. Prior to Freedom House, ambulance services in Pittsburgh primarily provided transportation without medical treatment, often with long response times and unanswered calls in Black neighborhoods, leading to poor health outcomes. The service, a collaboration between the Maurice Falk Medical Fund and the Hill District's Freedom House Enterprise Corporation, trained 25 Black men from the community as paramedics, offering employment and addressing critical gaps in emergency care. The rigorous training program, designed by Dr. Peter Safar, included extensive medical instruction and hospital-based experience, setting high standards that influenced modern emergency medical systems nationwide. Despite its success in saving lives and improving response times, Freedom House ceased operations in 1975 when the City of Pittsburgh ended its contract to establish its own ambulance service, which, while modeled on Freedom House, employed a largely white workforce. The resolution acknowledges the vital contributions of the paramedics, medical leaders, and community members who made Freedom House possible, highlighting its lasting impact on emergency medical services, workforce development, and community health.

Government Affairs

https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hr413