Pittsburgh program trains EMTs in 12 weeks
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Amid staffing shortages in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, a city program seeks to recruit and train from within the community.
For the past several years, Pittsburgh EMS has been trying to keep pace with an unrelenting volume of calls and fewer EMTs and paramedics available to respond. Losing employees to retirement and on-the-job injury, EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist struggles to find new recruits to take their place.
"With the national shortage of EMS providers, we've come to the realization that we need to look into our communities to grow our own paramedics," Gilchrist said.
Looking to its future, EMS is looking to its past, to Freedom House, the homegrown African American ambulance service that provided emergency medical care to the Hill District when no one else would. In 1975, it became the nucleus of Pittsburgh EMS.
The city is now recruiting young people from the community and training them to become EMTs. After 12 weeks of intensive study and on-the-job training, the recruits are set to graduate and hit the streets running.
Recent graduates Trevaughn Brown and Allison Foster say emergency medicine is exciting, ever-changing and a way to serve.
"That's always been my goal in life is just to try to make the world a better place, try to help people out wherever I can," Foster said.
"This is a way to help my city and my community to a better path," said Brown.
"This program is near and dear to my heart because I started with the city as an EMT and now I'm the chief," Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist was a single mom who worked her way through the ranks to become the first Black woman chief of EMS. For her, this program both honors the Freedom House pioneers of the past and provides a career opportunity to a new generation.
"It's really provided a very good living for my children, my family and that's what we want to do — give back to the community," she said.