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
Josh Law spent two hours alone in rough Pacific waters off Baja California, personally pulling 16 survivors to safety using the “buddy tow” technique, while 11 others were never found despite an 89-hour search
October 31, 2026 08:00 AM
Salvatore Cassano is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature to keep driverless cars off New York streets, citing federal warnings about a pattern of autonomous vehicles interfering with police and firefighters at emergency scenes nationwide
October 31, 2026 12:00 PM
The Greene County board tabled putting ambulance service out for bid as Boyd Memorial Hospital warns a $263,000 funding cut could force it to scale down to a single ambulance, with the current contract set to expire Nov. 9
November 01, 2026 08:00 AM
Union President Jeremy Garrett says closing Station 82, which hosts ambulance crews and covers the airport and Columbia Basin College areas, would force three-person teams and expand response times as Pasco works to close a $14 million budget gap
November 01, 2026 12:00 PM
