<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Freedom House Ambulance Service&lt;/strong&gt; was the first &lt;a title="Emergency medical services" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_medical_services"&gt;emergency medical service&lt;/a&gt; in the United States to be staffed by &lt;a title="Paramedic" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramedic"&gt;paramedics&lt;/a&gt; with medical training beyond basic first aid.&lt;sup id="cite_ref-JEMS_1-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-JEMS-1"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;1&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-99PI_2-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-99PI-2"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;2&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; Founded in 1967 to serve the predominantly Black &lt;a class= "mw-redirect" title="Hill District (Pittsburgh)" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)"&gt;Hill District&lt;/a&gt; of &lt;a class="mw-redirect" title= "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania"&gt;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania&lt;/a&gt;, it was staffed entirely by African Americans.&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Empowerment_3-0" class= "reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Empowerment-3"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;3&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Code_4-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Code-4"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;4&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; Freedom House Ambulance Service broke medical ground by training its personnel to previously unheard-of standards of emergency medical care for patients en route to hospitals.&lt;sup id= "cite_ref-Empowerment_3-1" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Empowerment-3"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;3&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Atavist_5-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Atavist-5"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;5&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Forgotten_6-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Forgotten-6"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;6&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; The paramedic training and ambulance design standards pioneered in the Freedom House Ambulance Service would set the standard for emergency care nationally and even internationally.&lt;sup id= "cite_ref-99PI_2-1" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-99PI-2"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;2&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Atavist_5-1" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Atavist-5"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;5&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; Despite its successes, the ambulance service was closed eight years after it began operating.&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Atavist_5-2" class= "reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service#cite_note-Atavist-5"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;5&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;sup class="reference"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elizabeth Coleman&lt;/strong&gt; (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926)&lt;sup id="cite_ref-:3_2-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-:3-2"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;2&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; was an early American &lt;a title="Civil aviation" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_aviation"&gt;civil aviator&lt;/a&gt;. She was the &lt;a class="mw-redirect" title= "First African-American" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_African-American"&gt;first African-American&lt;/a&gt; woman and first &lt;a title= "Native Americans in the United States" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States"&gt;Native American&lt;/a&gt; to hold a &lt;a title= "Pilot certification in the United States" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_certification_in_the_United_States"&gt;pilot&lt;/a&gt; license,&lt;sup id="cite_ref-ABC_3-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-ABC-3"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;3&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-PBS_4-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-PBS-4"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;4&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-Women_in_Aviation_International_5-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-Women_in_Aviation_International-5"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;5&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-essence_6-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-essence-6"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;6&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-af_7-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-af-7"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;7&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-pueblo_8-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-pueblo-8"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;8&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-whm_9-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-whm-9"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;9&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; and is the earliest known Black person to earn an &lt;a title= "Pilot licensing and certification" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_licensing_and_certification#History"&gt;international pilot's license&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;sup id="cite_ref-:0_10-0" class= "reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-:0-10"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;10&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; She earned her license from the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a title= "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale"&gt;Fédération Aéronautique Internationale&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; on June 15, 1921.&lt;sup id= "cite_ref-Women_in_Aviation_International_5-1" class= "reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-Women_in_Aviation_International-5"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;5&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-essence_6-1" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-essence-6"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;6&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup id="cite_ref-phof_11-0" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman#cite_note-phof-11"&gt;&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;11&lt;span class="cite-bracket"&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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Freedom House Ambulance Service & Bessie Coleman

FEB 18, 202633 MIN
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Freedom House Ambulance Service & Bessie Coleman

FEB 18, 202633 MIN

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Freedom House Ambulance Service was the first emergency medical service in the United States to be staffed by paramedics with medical training beyond basic first aid.[1][2] Founded in 1967 to serve the predominantly Black Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was staffed entirely by African Americans.[3][4] Freedom House Ambulance Service broke medical ground by training its personnel to previously unheard-of standards of emergency medical care for patients en route to hospitals.[3][5][6] The paramedic training and ambulance design standards pioneered in the Freedom House Ambulance Service would set the standard for emergency care nationally and even internationally.[2][5] Despite its successes, the ambulance service was closed eight years after it began operating.[5] Elizabeth Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926)[2] was an early American civil aviator. She was the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and is the earliest known Black person to earn an international pilot's license.[10] She earned her license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921.[5][6][11]