If you have ever had an ambulance save your life, this historian tells you who to thank

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That’s fine, but on the civilian side there is some truth to the OP post. The Pittsburgh model was a big step in civilian ambulance services in the US. A white doctor founded the service, and it was staffed primarily by black men.

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Are they bragging that they invented extorting a sick or injured person out of 4 grand for a one mile ride down the road

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The statement in the post is not accurate. The concept of paramedics and ambulances predates any modern involvement of Black nurses and soldiers in emergency medical services. Ambulances date back to the late 15th century, with early use during military campaigns, such as by the Spanish in 1487. The modern paramedic role began to take shape in the mid-20th century, with formalized training programs emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, notably in the U.S. with programs like the Freedom House Ambulance Service in Pittsburgh (1967), which was indeed staffed by Black paramedics and is credited with pioneering modern EMS practices. However, the idea of emergency medical response wasn't created by them—earlier systems existed, often run by hospitals or fire departments, not solely by police as the post claims. Police were never the "only" first responders; volunteer groups, fire services, and medical professionals also responded to emergencies historically. The Freedom House model did become influential worldwide, but it built on existing frameworks rather than creating the concept from scratch.

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