In the summer of 1977 the Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services created the Rescue Division to enhance the delivery of medically directed technical, tactical and heavy rescue.

At that time Pittsburgh EMS placed into service two 1977 Ford pickup trucks with utility boxes equipped with a small amount of equipment.

The Rescue Division has grown a great deal since 1977.  The division today has many units, including two 2007 Pierce Arrow XT Heavy-duty Rescue Trucks (Rescue 1 and Rescue 2).  These Pennsylvania State Certified Heavy-duty Rescue Trucks are equipped with a wide variety of technical rescue equipment.

Other vehicles in the Rescue Division include:

• MCU-1, a Mass Casualty Response Truck
• Rescue-4, a SCUBA/River Rescue Truck
• Rescue-5, a Structural Collapse – Confined Space Rescue Truck
• Haz-Mat-1, a Hazardous Material Response Truck
• Multiple River Rescue Craft for both surface and dive rescue operations

The EMS Rescue Division is part of both the City of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Hazardous Materials response teams.

All Rescue Division Paramedics are certified with the same ALS training and skills as those assigned to the Ambulance Division.  All of our EMS Rescue vehicles are fully equipped with a full compliment of ALS equipment similar to the ambulances and are Pennsylvania State Certified as ALS response vehicles.  Since our rescue personnel are paramedics, they can initiate care as soon as they gain access to the patient. This might be the rescue of a person over a cliff, a passenger trapped in a car, or a worker entangled in machinery.   A complicated rescue can take considerable time.  In such cases, it is imperative to begin treating the victim as soon as possible and not waiting until they are rescued to receive life-saving medical care or analgesia.

Currently the EMS Rescue Division is regularly staffed by six Paramedic Crew Chiefs and 18 Paramedics assigned to Rescue-1 and Rescue-2. Every Paramedic Crew Chief and Paramedic employed by the City of Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania State certified in a variety of rescue practices and are able to work in the Rescue Division if the need arises.

Additionally, during warm weather months, The River Rescue Station, at PNC Park, is regularly staffed by two Public Safety/Master SCUBA Diver who are also Certified Paramedics. Throughout the remainder of the year and on the night shift, River Rescue is staffed by one Public Safety/Master SCUBA Diver Paramedic and an additional Public Safety/Master SCUBA Diver Paramedic will respond from their assigned Medic or Rescue Units as needed to handle emergency responses.

Rescue Division Personnel Training

Personnel in the division are trained to handle a very wide range of medical and rescue situations.  Listed below are just some of the training certifications that the regularly assigned crew members may have:

• PA D.O.H. Basic Vehicle Rescue
• PA D.O.H. Special Vehicle Rescue
• High and Low-Angle Rope Rescue-various levels
• Hazardous Material Training - Operation and Technician Levels
• Confined Space Rescue
• Surface Water Rescue
• Swift Water Rescue
• Subsurface Water Rescue - up to and including Master Diver
• PA D.O.H. Basic Rescue Practices
• Urban Search and Rescue - Federal and State Certified
• Elevator Rescue
• Trench and Excavation Collapse Rescue
• Structural Collapse Rescue
• Electrical Hazard Response
• Railroad Hazard Response
• Weapons of Mass Destruction Response
• Mass Casualty Incident Response
• Fire Fighter I and II
• Advance Line Systems

Many of the Paramedics assigned to the Rescue Division are also certified instructors and evaluators in a wide variety of Public Safety disciplines including Emergency Medicine, Rescue, Hazardous Materials and Fire Fighting.

To learn more about the different units in the division, please click on their links below.