Fresh Air

The Surprising History Of The First Paramedics

12.19.2022 - By NPRPlay

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American Sirens author Kevin Hazzard tells the story of a community group in a Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh who helped spark a revolution in emergency medicine. As recently as the 1960s, anyone suffering a heart attack or serious injury who called for help might get a response from the police or funeral home employees in a hearse. They could get the patient to a hospital, but couldn't perform CPR or other treatment on the scene. Freedom House trained some of the nation's first paramedics.

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