Pittsburgh's Emergency Medical Services did not violate state law with its handling of the Curtis Mitchell case, but it needs to make improvements in communications and other areas, a state Health Department official said Friday.

Mr. Mitchell, 50, died Feb. 7 in his Hazelwood home after he and his girlfriend called 911 10 times over 30 hours, seeking medical help as the city battled a major snowstorm.

Three times on Feb. 6, ambulances dispatched to Mr. Mitchell's home failed to arrive because of snow-covered roads and other problems. By the time an ambulance arrived the next day, he had died.

His cause of death has not been determined, the medical examiner's office said.

City officials apologized, ordered an internal investigation and then asked the state to review the internal report.

The city hasn't yet made its findings publicly available. However, Michael Huff, state deputy health secretary, said Friday that the state had completed its review of the city report.

The state found that the city's handling of Mr. Mitchell's 911 calls did not violate the state EMS Act, a law that governs EMS practices. Nonetheless, Mr. Huff said, the state concurred with the city's findings that Mr. Mitchell's death revealed "some gaps in the system," including problems with communication and logistics.

He referred other questions to the city but said city officials are "working very hard" to fill the gaps "so this unfortunate event does not happen again." He also said the state is willing to provide the city with technical assistance and other help as it makes system improvements.

Joanna Doven, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's spokeswoman, declined to comment on Mr. Huff's remarks.

Anthony Weinmann, head of the paramedics union, said the state review showed that paramedics did nothing wrong. Each time, he said, paramedics were told by dispatchers or EMS district chiefs to abort calls to Mr. Mitchell's home.

City officials previously have acknowledged the need for improvements.

Each 911 call was logged as a separate request for help, rather than a pattern of calls from one household. The city's public safety director, Michael Huss, said EMS should have done more to get to Mr. Mitchell's home.

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