
2024 Whitehall Reads Pick:

American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics by Kevin Hazzard
Until the 1970s, if you suffered a medical crisis, your chances of survival were minimal. A 9-1-1 call might bring police or even the local funeral home. But that all changed with Freedom House EMS in Pittsburgh, a group of Black men who became America’s first paramedics and set the gold standard for emergency medicine around the world, only to have their story and their legacy erased—until now.
Acclaimed journalist and paramedic Kevin Hazzard tells the story of an unjustly forgotten group of Black men in Pittsburgh who became the first paramedics in America, saving lives and changing the course of emergency medicine around the world. Our community reading initiative runs through August!
Whitehall Reads launches on June 24 and runs through August. The library will honor and celebrate the legacy of Freedom House by encouraging as many patrons as possible to read and share the book. In addition, there will be opportunities to enrich the reading experience through accompanying programs, including a culminating event involving a speaking appearance by John Moon, one of original paramedics strongly featured in the book, and a screening of the Emmy award-winning documentary, Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders, produced by WQED.

The First Responders: A Special Movie Screening with John Moon and Annette Banks
Tuesday July 30 at 6:30pm – As part of our Whitehall Reads spotlight of American Sirens, the library is proud to host a very special screening of the WQED Multimedia documentary, Freedom House Ambulance: The FIRST Responders.
In 1967, Pittsburgh’s inner city produced America’s first EMT service. Comprised solely of Black men and women recruited from the city’s Hill District neighborhood, the paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital and CPR care. Freedom House was initially conceived to respond to the needs of Pittsburgh’s African American community who often could not rely on police and fire departments during an emergency.
This 30-minute screening about America’s first emergency medical service will be followed by a discussion with one of the subjects of the film, John Moon, and WQED producer Annette Banks.
John Moon is a former Freedom House emergency medical technician and retired Assistant Chief of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service. John was raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District and joined Freedom House, America’s First Emergency Medical Service, in 1972. He continued to work in emergency medicine for more than five decades and now works to preserve Freedom House’s legacy and to mentor the next generation of emergency and community responders in Pittsburgh.
Annette Banks is the recipient of four Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards for her previous productions, including “A Crowning Achievement,” the story of Jean Bryant’s founding of Pittsburgh’s African American pageants, and “August Wilson Park – You Plan Right,” covering the history of the Hill District park.