Historic Hill Institute to host celebration of Freedom House Ambulance Services

The Historic Hill Institute will host a communitywide Freedom House Celebration on May 15 to honor the groundbreaking emergency medical service. The first EMS in the nation, Freedom House originated in the Hill District with people of color at the forefront.

“Every time someone hears a siren, they need to stop and thank Freedom House,” said Kimberly C. Ellis, executive director of the Historic Hill Institute, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the Hill District.

“We introduced pre-hospital care to the world. Back in 1973, Freedom House was the first to use Narcan outside a hospital setting to treat heroin overdoses,” Freedom House founder John Moon said. “A lot of the things that we take for granted, like the paramedics, it wasn’t that way — Freedom House had to be the trailblazers and groundbreakers.”

Freedom House Ambulance Services, founded in 1967, addressed the need for emergency medical services. Initially, individuals in medical emergencies were transported in police vehicles to the hospital. This was a problem because at the time, a contentious relationship existed between police and the community in the Hill District due to racism.

Racism also played a role in the dissolution of the organization.

Freedom House Ambulance Services was run and serviced by mostly Black residents of the Hill District under the tutelage of Peter Safar and Nancy Caroline. Freedom House serviced the entire city, not just Black people. At times, folks were specifically requesting them, which caused serious tension between the organization and the city.

When the City of Pittsburgh took over emergency services in 1975, an almost all-white crew replaced the Black workers of Freedom House. The original employees were either put through additional rigorous training or not retained.

“Perseverance and resilience allowed me to push forward,” Moon said.

Despite the adversity, Moon introduced diversity programs to Pittsburgh EMS. He mentored Amera Gilchrist, who became chief of Pittsburgh EMS in May 2023, the first Black woman to serve in that role. The dissolution of Freedom House lacked formal recognition and gratitude from the city, according to Ellis. She believes Freedom House is owed a public apology.

“The average young person does not know what Freedom House is, and that is a tragedy. Not only are you lost to history, but the young people of color that might have been influenced to be doctors and healthcare workers,” Ellis said.

Formal proclamations are expected at the May celebration. Efforts are underway to secure a congressional gold medal.

April is also National Minority Health Month, highlighting disparities in health care.

“If you don’t know where you came from, it is hard to know where you are going,” said Sylvia Owusu, a board-certified pediatrician at UPMC Children’s Hospital.

In Pittsburgh, Black people make up almost a quarter of the population.

“Racial concordance in medicine improves health care outcomes. If you go to a doctor and see a doctor, EMT or paramedic who looks like you, you are more likely to have a better health outcome,” Owusu said, adding that the communication is likely to be more open and the trustworthiness is better.

“Black EMTs and paramedics are anywhere from 3% to 5% and active Black physicians are 5% ” she said. “This is a travesty to our health care system.”

According to Owusu, she is the only Black pediatrician at UPMC Children’s Hospital. Owusu is dedicated to bridging the gap by respecting, honoring, celebrating the history and getting the word out.

Freedom House has never received local, statewide, or national recognition, according to Ellis. The celebration will take place at Frankie Pace Park at 3 p.m. Plans are underway to commemorate the legacy of Freedom House with a historic landmark at the original site that is now the Hill District Federal Credit Union.

To register for the celebration, click here.