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.
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“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.
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