In 1975, David Varrelman, Police Chief of Mt. Lebanon, recognized the need for a paramedic response unit in Mt. Lebanon. He based this need on his experiences as a law enforcement officer in Los Angeles, California.
In Los Angeles, he witnessed the expertise and efficient patient care that Los Angeles County Paramedics provided. He was dissatisfied with the level of patient care that the Mt. Lebanon Police Department provided to victims of sudden illness or injury. In those days two police officers would be dispatched to a medical emergency in a station wagon, scooped the patient up and made a mad dash to St. Clair Hospital.
Chief Varrelman developed a comprehensive plan and submitted it to the Allegheny County Commissioners as a means of applying for Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) grant money.
At the same time, Mr. Robert Fryer, owner of the South Hills Ambulance Service in Bridgeville, applied for a grant to begin a similar paramedic service in the communities of Dormont, Castle Shannon and Baldwin Township. Upon arrival of the grant money in the Spring of 1975 Chief Varrelman and Mr. Fryer held a joint testing session for potential employees. On October 27, 1975 the Mt. Lebanon Police Medical Team began responding to medical emergencies in Mt. Lebanon.