Speakers at the occasion included, Mike Huss, deputy director of Public Safety, Phil Hallen, president emeritus of the Falk Foundation who had been a former ambulance driver, and who, along with Morton Coleman, professor emeritus, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, was an early visionary for Freedom House; Mark Bocian, acting EMS Chief, City of Pittsburgh, and John Moon, former assistant EMS Chief, for Pittsburgh. All expressed their thanks and gratitude for Freedom House and for the groundwork they laid in making the City of Pittsburgh EMS Service what it is today. Moon said “This is a very emotional day for me, one I’ve waited for a very long time”.
Additional speakers were Walt Brown, former assistant director of Operations for Freedom House and George McCrary III both of whom were original members of the first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class taught by Dr. Peter Safar, known as the “Father” of Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation.
Sixty-Six year old McCray said, “I remember the intensive training we received; it was eight hours a day for eight months; Dr. Peter Safar really put us through the rigors—we learned anatomy and physiology in those first eight months and we went on to spend a significant amount of time in every department of the hospital in preparation to be on the truck.
“This event today is so important because it seems we’ve been recognized everywhere except Pittsburgh—I’m glad to be around to see this day get here.”
“Freedom House Film maker, Gene Starzenski, reiterated that he had been waiting “40 years” for this to happen. He spoke of the awards and recognition that Freedom House has received such as the Public Safety Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Distinguish Service Award during the National Association of State EMS Officials Annual Meeting in Nashville, September 2013 among others. But he was quick to step aside and give the remaining former EMT’s the spotlight.
Terri Baltimore, director of Community Development, coordinator of the day’s activities shared that this recognition holds great distinction for a couple reasons, one being that in spite of the recognition and stature it has received in so many other places, it seems it had been forgotten, locally.
Additionally, it is important to note that the curriculum for standard EMS training across the board was based on that which was created for Freedom House by Dr. Nancy Caroline of the University of Pittsburgh.
“I’m sure we’ll have a full house at the screening; and that’s good because people need to know about this work, and that the men and women contributing to the success of this ambulatory service came right from this neighborhood,” Baltimore said. “The plaque along with the documentary are two ways of keeping keep this story alive.
“This is also about the African-American youth, this film will be shown in schools, and hopefully they will make the connection when they see Freedom House Emblem on the City EMS vehicles in Pittsburgh, and can be proud to know that someone who looks like them made this possible.”
After the reception and screening of the film, a community discussion was held and the former participants shared their perspectives of the time with the audience.
(For more information on the documentary “Freedom House Street Saviors”, check out the following web sites; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eEa2d9kpek&feature=youtu.be.)
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