James O. Page Jim Page is widely recognized as the most influential proponent of ems delivered by fire departments. After working as a private ambulance attendant in Los Angeles County, Calif., in the mid 1950s, and later serving as a firefighter in Monterey Park, Calif., in 1959, Page joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

During 14 years there, he rose to become a battalion chief, commanding a 60-square-mile battalion in south Los Angeles - and also coordinating and implementing a countywide paramedic service. During this period, he also served as a technical consultant and writer for the tv series "Emergency."

In 1973, Page accepted the new position of chief of ems for North Carolina, where he implemented a statewide program of emergency medical care and rescue services. He then moved north to become the executive director of a federally funded project to improve ems in upstate New York.

From 1976 to 1983, Page served as executive director of the Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation and developed programs to upgrade emergency medical services throughout the United States. In 1979, he founded The Journal of Emergency Medical Services, one of the world's most respected sources of ems information.

Page was also the technical support services program manager for the usfa, where he managed a national program of consulting and technical assistance for fire and ems agencies.

Page then returned to the fire service in 1984 as a battalion chief in Carlsbad, Calif. Two years later, he was appointed fire chief of Monterey Park, Calif. He retired from Monterey Park in 1989, and returned to the full-time position of publisher at JEMS.

Page has written five books and more than 400 magazine articles and editorials, presented over 750 speeches, and provided consulting for more than 100 cities, counties and fire districts throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Kuwait and Japan. In 1996 he was a participant in the Wingspread iv conference.

Perhaps the most prominent among his many honors came in 1995, when he received the first annual James O. Page ems Achievement Award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, a fitting recognition of his life's work.