Freedom House Ambulance Service was established in Pittsburgh in 1967. It was a cooperation between Freedom House Enterprises (a non-profit Black-administered organization focused on the development of Black-owned and operated businesses), Presbyterian University Hospital, and the University of Pittsburgh Anesthesiology department. The partnership provided Emergency Medical Technician training for unemployed members of the Hill District community and jobs to deliver paramedic services to an area that lacked access to emergency services. This training was a new concept in emergency medicine, and these first groups of students were part of ground-breaking trials about what should be taught and how it should be learned. Many of the skills pushed boundaries of medical care in non-hospital settings. The curriculum for the Freedom House Ambulance Service employees included classroom lessons with hands-on “practice to perfection” sessions and rotations in multiple hospital departments. The Freedom House training would eventually become the model for the national standard of EMT training.

The Freedom House Ambulance Service operated successfully until 1975, during which time it extended its reach to serve not only the Hill District but also Oakland and downtown Pittsburgh. Due to political reasons and financial problems, this highly advanced ambulance service was disbanded and the services were taken over by the City of Pittsburgh EMS.