Black History Month: The history of Freedom House Ambulance Service
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- There was a time in Pittsburgh when if you were sick or injured in the Hill District, you had to find a way to the hospital on your own.
"At that time, back in the 1960s, you couldn't get a cab, and a private ambulance service often would not come into a Black neighborhood," said John Moon.
That need led to the formation of Freedom House Ambulance Service. It was the country's first community-based EMS with trained medics.
They served the Hill District, Oakland and downtown from 1967 through 1975. Most of the workers were African American.
It was an innovative emergency health program that now is used by community EMS services worldwide.
Click here to read more on the Freedom House Ambulance Service.
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