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As an emergency physician and someone who loves EMS, I’ve always believed that we should understand the history of the systems we work in. But the truth is, many clinicians today don’t realize how modern paramedicine actually began.

Before paramedics existed, an ambulance call in many cities meant a police wagon. There were no trained providers in the back, no oxygen, no medications—just a ride to the hospital.

That changed in Pittsburgh in the late 1960s with the creation of the Freedom House Ambulance Service.

In this episode, I had the incredible honor of sitting down with Chief John Moon, one of the original Freedom House paramedics. Alongside pioneers like Dr. Peter Safar and Dr. Nancy Caroline, these men helped build the very foundation of modern EMS—bringing advanced medical care directly to patients long before it became standard practice.

But this story is about more than the birth of paramedicine.

It’s about a group of young Black men from Pittsburgh’s Hill District who were given an opportunity to serve their community—and in doing so changed emergency medicine forever.

Chief Moon shares powerful stories about the early days of Freedom House, the groundbreaking training they received, the lives they saved, and the challenges they faced along the way.

For me, this conversation is also deeply personal. The story of Freedom House is one of the reasons I came to Pittsburgh and pursued EMS and emergency medicine here.

If you are a paramedic, EMT, nurse, physician, or anyone who works in emergency care, this is a piece of history that belongs to all of us.

I’m truly honored to share Chief Moon’s story with you.

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Thank you for being part of the EMERGE in EM community. Until next time, stay curious, keep learning, and continue to EMERGE.