Subaqua Sternal Rubs

America's fire and rescue service lost one of its legends Saturday evening, Chief James O. Page.

Page is often noted as the father of modern emergency medicine in the fire service, His lifelong committment to the fire service started in 1957 with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, where he worked his way through the ranks while completing his undergraduate education and law school at night.

Page died suddenly Saturday night while swimming.

"Jim was an icon … He started articulating the issues of EMS in the fire service and never let up," said Garry Briese, Executive Director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. "He did his best to keep us honest with how we provide emergency medical services, and he'll be incredibly missed."

Briese, a friend of Page's for 30 years, was presented the James O. Page Award for Excellence this year. This award was named for Page in 1995 and presented annually to an individual who has played a key role in creating and/or promoting non-clinical innovation and achievements in fire service EMS management and leadership resulting in a positive impact nationally.

Those ideals were what Jim Page was all about.

In 1971, Jim was assigned by his department to coordinate the countywide implementation of paramedic rescue services.

At the same time, he served as technical consultant and writer for the "Emergency!" television series. In 1973, he resigned from the fire department to accept the new position of Chief of EMS for the State of North Carolina.

Page spent the next ten years based on the east coast. In 1976, he was selected as Executive Director of the non-profit ACT (Advanced Coronary Treatment) Foundation. In 1979, he founded JEMS (Journal of Emergency Medical Services).

In 1984, Jim returned to the California fire service while maintaining a leadership role in Jems. In 1989, he retired as Fire Chief for the City of Monterey Park (in Los Angeles County) and returned to full-time service as Chairman and CEO of Jems Communications.

Friend Billy Goldfeder called Page's death a major loss for everyone in the fire service.

"The lives that Jim Page has affected and saved both directly and indirectly through his efforts with JEMS and all his related EMS projects — not to mention his fire service projects — are immeasurable," said Goldfeder, a Battalion Chief in Loveland-Symmes, Ohio and Firehouse contributor. "There is not one fire department in this country that has not benefitted by the life-long efforts of Jim. His loss will be felt forever — but so will all the revolutionary good he did for our business.

Over the years, Jim Page has written six books, more than 400 magazine articles and editorials, and given more than 800 public speeches. He has established and funded an EMS educational foundation at Palomar College near San Diego.

In 2000, he was featured by Fire Chief Magazine as one of the 20 most influential fire chiefs of the 20th Century.

"Jim was one of those individuals who always knew how to stay on the progressive edge of the American Fire Service," National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Executive Director Ronald J. Siarnicki said. "His innovations will continue to advance all of us in this field of community service. He will be missed and remembered for all of the changes he facilitated to make the delivery of emergency services in this country what it is today."

Most recently, Page was continuing to serve as publisher emeritus of JEMS and FireRescue Magazine and was a partner in the law firm of Page, Wolfberg and Wirth, with offices in California and Pennsylvania.

On a personal note, Jim is the primary reason I became interested in the fire and rescue service as a teen. Besides watching Emergency! as a kid, my first fire service book was Page's "The Paramedics."

In the early years at Firehouse.com, the staff was lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time getting to know Jim during the national tour of "Emergency!" and he spent several nights with our local firehouse in Hyattsville, Md.

Jim was not only a leader and legend within the fire service, he was all around an extremely caring and giving human being. His presence and genuine smile could light up a room.

He will be missed professionally by the nation's entire fire and EMS service, and personally by many whose hearts and minds he touched.

Page is a father of four, a grandfather of six, a private pilot, and a collector of vintage fire and rescue equipment.

The hole left by his loss as a figure in building the nation's fire and EMS service will never be filled.

From >

Email to Friend Print