By Bill Carey
EMS1
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS recently celebrated the graduation of nine new EMTs who make up the first class of the Freedom House EMT Academy, named in honor of the nation’s first EMS service.
EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist noted that in her 25 years with the bureau, they have never had an EMT training program until now, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
“We actually took people, regular citizens, off the street and put them through school and showed them what EMS is all about,” Gilchrist said.
The graduation pays tribute to the original Freedom House Ambulance Service, established in the Hill District in the 1960s.
Books
Paramedic Kevin Hazzard recounts the incredible story of the Black men and women who became America’s first paramedics
February 03, 2025 11:40 AM
“If it weren’t for the men and women of Freedom House, I wouldn’t be the chief of this department right now,” Gilchrist said.
The paid training program spans 12 weeks. Every member of the inaugural class successfully passed.
Pittsburgh EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist shares the progressive plan she fervently believes will reduce staffing challenges
December 21, 2023 10:50 AM
Delaware County’s peer-support program connected 100% of engaged first responders to care through a 24/7 hotline and weekly confidential drop-in meetings
October 03, 2026 12:00 PM
The 10-year tax would fund Norvell Township’s re-established police department, EMS and ambulance services, and fire contracts with Cambridge and Napoleon townships
October 03, 2026 08:00 AM
Seven specialized units, from mountain rescue to search dogs, respond to more calls than any other jurisdiction in Washington state, with volunteers logging hundreds of unpaid hours
October 04, 2026 08:00 AM
Nora Trejo met the paramedics and flight crew who helped revive her after a near-drowning, giving responders a rare chance to see a success story they say reminds them why their work matters
October 04, 2026 12:00 PM
