a supplement to - jems.com · jane page offers a glimpse at ... as a rebel by some of his fellow...

A supplement to

2 James O. Page Legacy

3 At Home with JimJane Page offers a glimpse atthe man behind the uniformBy Jane Page

4 Lasting LegacyThe life & times of Jim PageBy A.J. Heightman

5 The Gravity of CharmNever underestimate the power of sincerityBy Michelle Garrido

6 First, He Changed EverythingJim’s fire service colleagues celebrate his life,legacy & vision of what the fire service could beKick the Big Door Wide OpenBy Alan V. Brunacini, Chief,Phoenix Fire DepartmentYou Can Go Home AgainBy Tim Murphy, Chief,Monterey Park Fire DepartmentThe Glass Half EmptyBy John Price, Captain (ret.),Los Angeles County Fire Department

10 The Road Less TraveledJim Page’s amazing tour of small-town fire & EMSBy Jeff Berend

12 Lights! Camera! Sirens! Action!Jim Page’s impact on Emergency! & its influence overearly paramedic system development worldwideBy A.J. Heightman & Richard Yokley

16 Bucking the SystemAs North Carolina’s first state EMS director,Jim faced down politicians & changed the face of EMSBy William K. Atkinson, PhD, MPH, EMT-P

19 A Class ACTJim Page’s push for improved cardiac careBy Mary Newman

21 A Real Page TurnerJim’s vision & persistence result in launch of JEMSBy Keith Griffiths

24 Tipping the ScalesAs an attorney, Jim fought to protect the interestsof the individual provider & firefighterBy Doug Wolfberg, JD, & Steve Wirth, JD

26 The Man & His MachinesShowcasing Jim’s passion for the preservation& restoration of antique fire apparatusBy Paul Schneider

28 What We RememberJim’s spirit lives on in his family, friends & colleagues

30 A Fitting TributeMemorial service honors the ‘father of modern EMS’By Kristi Savino

Legacy of James O. Page An editorial supplement to JEMS and FireRescue Magazine

Publisher/General Manager Jeff Berend Associate Publisher Tim Francis Editors A.J. Heightman & Michelle Garrido Senior Editor Keri LosavioProduction Manager Michael Magabilin Supplement Art Director Jason Pelc Cover Design Liliana Estep Graphics Designer Kristy D. EnlowContributing Photographers Glen Ellman, the Page family, Tom Page, Bryan Sakamoto and others Subscriber Services Manager Kevin FlanaganMarketing Director Debbie Murray Sales Representatives Sheri Collins, Cheryl Kaufman, Steve Skinner Jems Staff Dawn Barrett-Smith, Lisa A. Bell,Olga Berdial, Liz Coyle, Hilary Crocker, Cindy Devone-Pacheco, Christine Erickson, Janelle Foskett, Marion Angell Garza, Jed Henson, Zach Manuel, LynnPapenhausen, Mary Ryan, Kristi Savino, Laura Smith, Erica Tower, Kathy Whitehead, Elizabeth Zook Founding Editor Keith Griffiths

Legacy of James O. Page is published by Jems Communications, 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495; 800/266-5367 (fed. ID #13-935377).Copyright 2005 Elsevier Inc. No material may be reproduced or uploaded on computer network services without the expressed permission of the publisher.Subscription information: To subscribe to a Jems Communications publication, visit www.jems.com. Advertising information: Rates are available on request.Contact Jems Communications Advertising Department at 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495; 800/266-5367.

Table of Contents

J im Page may have spent hislife in the public eye, but therewas a place he called home.Home was his haven, his inspi-

ration and where his heart resided. Abouquet of flowers when he was awayor a card under a pillow alwaysreminded me that he missed beinghome and being together. Jim was myhusband, best friend and confidant.We were blessed with four wonderfulchildren and six magnificent grand-children … all made us so proud.

The fire/EMS world, although neverfar from our thoughts, never saw ourenjoyment in walking on the beach,decorating a Christmas tree or taking

our grandchildren and friends for theChristmas afternoon ride in his fireengine. The world never saw Jim tryingto be a “grill chef,” walking the dog orenjoying the quiet times. We were for-tunate to travel the many backroads ofAmerica in our RV and admire andbask in the beauty of our country. Thesilent moments when we could enjoyeach other’s company … memories arepriceless and never fade. They willremain in my heart forever.

Jim worked with his electronic assis-tant (his computer) daily, receivingmessages and sending typical “Jim PagePearls of Wisdom” messages.

Titles meant nothing to Jim. He

enjoyed people and sharing their mes-sages, especially when they werereceptive to new and proactive con-cepts. Jim’s power of recollectionamazed me. He remembered names;he remembered dates: Ask what hewas doing June 16, 1984, and hecould relate in great detail that partic-ular day. Amazing!

Jim loved running miles in shortsand shoes on sunny winter days at theedge of the Pacific Ocean. He lovedhis life. He loved his family, and weloved him in return.

Jim left all of us a legacy to live andlove life as he did. The smile, thelaughter, the gentle touch. I’m so verythankful we had our time to share. Heis missed. JOP

James O. Page Legacy 3

By Jane Page

At Homewith Jim

Jane Page offers a glimpse at the man behind the uniform

Grandpa Jim holds his very first granddaughter, Olivia Page. Grandma Jane holds their twolittlest grandchildren, Megan Page and Dylan Ries. Pondering the new pecking order isgrandson Derek Ries, sitting and playing by himself.

Jim and Jane attend a black-tie affair. Jimdescribed Jane as, “the lady who has madeit all possible. She has kept the home firesburning and cheerfully supported methrough ... thousands of days and nightswhen I was away on the business of EMS.”

Jim’s favorite running path–the Carlsbad(CA) shoreline.

Jim’s power of recollection amazed me. Heremembered names; he remembered dates.

S hortly after the Sept. 16, 2004,memorial service for Jim Page,where 1,000 friends, familymembers and colleagues had

gathered to honor him, I traveled to theEast Coast to speak at a large confer-ence. When Jim’s death was acknowl-edged at a keynote address, I heard ayoung EMT sitting near me whisper toher friend, “Who was Jim Page?”

Answering that question in a fewwords is like trying to contain the mer-cury from a broken thermometer in oneplace. Yes, he was a lifelong firefighter, adedicated fire chief, an innovativeadministrator, a prolific author, a com-manding speaker, a generous and articu-late attorney, and a loving husband,

father and grandfather. But for thosewho didn’t know him, a few more wordsare needed to explain who Jim Page was.

Foremost, Jim was always a compas-sionate public servant who had an unpar-alleled vision for improving andexpanding EMS and the fire service.Impressed as a child with the role fire-fighters played in his community, helonged to be one. With his trademark tra-dition of precision planning and timing,Jim filled out his application for theMonterey Park (Calif.) Fire Departmenton his 21st birthday. As a firefighter, hesoon realized that the public often calledus for assistance at the most unusualtimes and for the most unusual reasons.

As a visionary and innovator, Jim wasable to convince his peers, in his subtlebut calculated manner, that they coulddo much more than just quell the reddevil at a structure fire. He led by exam-ple, showing that performing CPR, tak-ing blood pressures and administeringoxygen could enhance service and thepublic’s image of firefighters.

While advancing these new tech-niques and tools, Jim was often viewedas a rebel by some of his fellow officers

in the Los Angeles County FireDepartment (LACoFD), who often toldhim to stop his push for change.

But Jim was driven by his vision andcontinued to push. He was a craftyopportunist, restless and impatient withrusty traditions and relentless in hispursuit of changes that could save livesand improve the service we render toour “customers.”

The TV series Emergency! is an exam-ple of how Jim seized an opportunity toshowcase the new LACoFD paramedicteams, cement their role in the depart-ment and show the American public thelevel of prehospital care they could (andshould) have available to them.

Jim was never afraid to move on when

he felt he had achieved as much as hecould in his positions. In L.A. County,when his superiors told him his involve-ment in the show Emergency! and hispush for paramedics and improved EMSdelivery had likely cost him the opportu-nity for further advancement in theLACoFD, Jim left the department andmoved on to another challenge as chiefof the North Carolina Office of EMS.

Although not fully appreciated at thetime, programs Jim launched in NorthCarolina would later become examplesfor the rest of the country. But when hewould not back down on his push forEMT training and refused to allow oralexaminations for EMT candidates whocouldn’t read, he was forced to resignunder political pressure. Discouragedbut not defeated, Jim took a position asexecutive director for Lakes Area EMS,Buffalo, N.Y., and served as chief admin-istrator of a federally funded project toupgrade and improve emergency servicesin an eight-county region of upstate NewYork. This job left a lasting impression onJim, showing him the unique aspects ofEMS offered by volunteer agencies.

In December 1973, Jim completed

his project in New York and moved toBasking Ridge, N.J., where he took overleadership of the Advanced CoronaryTreatment (ACT) Foundation and pro-duced programs, documents and filmsthat put ALS and CPR in front of, andon the minds of, the American public. Itwas here that Jim produced the award-winning film, A Life in Your Hands.

While at the ACT Foundation, Jimmade a decision that would foreverchange the EMS profession. He decidedto launch a professional journal to spreadthe word about good (and bad) occur-rences in EMS system development. Thisdecision resulted in the birth of JEMS.

Jim wanted JEMS to offer clinical andadministrative content that readers couldnot get anywhere else. To do this, herecruited the sharpest, and sometimesmost controversial, people to write forthe journal. This led to watershed articleson such topics as emergency medical dis-patch (1981), system status management(1982), do-not-resuscitate orders (1983),interim standards for AEDs (1985),provider stress and suicide (1988), theneed for a reevaluation of the role firedepartments played in EMS (1989), theimpact of violence on emergency respon-ders (1990), the evaluation of carethrough continuous quality improvement(1993) and many others.

JEMS also offered Jim a uniqueplatform to use his wisdom, wit andexperience to editorialize on employerinjustices, bureaucratic quagmires,inconsistent curricula, innovative pro-grams and boneheaded concepts. He hadthe rare ability to weave words into a pow-erful punch when necessary and earnedthe respect and admiration of both friendand foe. NAEMT honored him by dub-bing JEMS “The Conscience of EMS.”

This special legacy document allowsus to give you a more complete picture ofJim Page and what his vision, devotionand achievements have meant for you,me and countless providers, administra-tors and patients throughout the world.He has left this earth, but his spirit andmission will remain with us forever. JOP


Lasting LegacyThe life & times of Jim Page

By A.J. Heightman, Editor, JEMS

Jim was able to convince his peers thatthey could do much more.

T ry to describe the GrandCanyon to someone who’snever seen it, and you’lllikely fall woefully short.

Words, pictures, movies—none of themtruly capture the Canyon’s impact. It’s amighty impressive natural phenome-non, and words just won’t cut it. Youhave to stand at the edge of the Canyonwith your own two feet and experienceit in person.

We face similar difficulty when try-ing to describe Jim Page. Words can’tpresent the entire, wonderful truthabout him. It’s easy to list the variousaspects of his career and his numerousaccomplishments, but the magic of hischaracter existed in intangible traitsthat had nothing to do with his being afire service/EMS legend but had every-thing to do with his becoming one. Hischarm, intelligence, wit and commit-ment to doing the right thing had just asprofound an impact on the emergencyresponse industry as fire-based EMShad. Anyone who knew Jim can tell youthese things, but like any natural phe-nomenon, you needed to experience Jimin person to get the full effect. The peo-ple who contributed to this supplementhad that honor.

Jim’s amiable nature transcended hisimposing physical stature. For that rea-son, people looked up to him ratherthan up at him. He exuded a magneticcharm, and his warmth tugged on peo-ple like gravity. I liked being in his orbit,and I enjoyed watching other people getdrawn in. I saw it at countless tradeshows. Shy, nervous or starstruck fire-fighters would approach our booth withgreat trepidation, excited to meet theirhero but a little unsure about the rulesof engagement. They’d hang back for acount or two, then Jim would break intoa cheerful grin: “Hi, I’m Jim Page!

Where are you from?” After a five-minute conversation, those shy, nervousfirefighters would leave the booth feel-ing proud, inspired and self-assured.Jim’s time and attention helped peopleshed their perceived limitations. Henever focused on past mistakes or indis-cretions; he was all about what goodthings were possible. People walkedaway from encounters with Jim feelingbetter and more hopeful than before.

The gravity of Jim’s charm wasn’t lim-ited to the little guys; it extended way upthe ladder of success. I witnessed thisfirsthand at the 2003 Congressional Fire

Service Institute (CFSI) dinner inWashington, D.C. The cocktail recep-tion preceding the dinner is a sea ofhand-shakers, back-slappers and pur-poseful networking. But Jim wasn’t thenetworking kind; he was far too unaf-fected. I watched—amused—as count-less VIPs were sucked in by his broadsmile. They’d approach Jim profession-ally, with a firm handshake and a formalgreeting. But pretense was short-lived inhis presence. Within seconds, they’d bedoubled over, laughing with Jim—a fire-man’s fireman—who had just relayed astory about an engineer named Stubbyand the unfortunate, accidental destruc-tion of public property. Like it or not, hewould transport old salts back to a timeand place where change happened at thecompany level, where the true rewardcame after the call when you helpedsomeone in a big or small way. He

helped the über-experienced relive thejoy of seeing the fire department as anew thing. He always said he was a com-pany officer at heart.

Jim was proud of his fire service her-itage, and he’s the only man I know whowas big enough to plant one foot firmlyin fire service tradition while having theother striving toward a better, brighterfuture. Magically, he did it withoutostracizing anyone. In Jim’s eyes, thebest of the past and the hope of thefuture weren’t mutually exclusive; theycomplemented one other. For that rea-son, he truly embodied the modern

American firefighter: respectful of tradi-tion, but looking forward to the positivechanges that lie ahead.

The following pages detail theimprint Jim left on our industry.Although we could write volumes abouthis contributions, I’ll remember himmostly as my mentor and friend. When Ithink of Jim now, I’m taken back to theday following the CFSI dinner when hegave me a walking tour of D.C. A tirelesstour guide, Jim dragged me up and downthe length of the Washington Malltwice. I saw a week’s worth of monu-ments in eight hours with a man wholived four lifetimes in one. As the shad-ows grew long, my legs grew weary, andI raced to keep up with this man whosestride was twice as long as my own. I’llspend a good portion of my remainingdays trying to keep pace with the exam-ple he set. I think we all will. JOP


By Michelle Garrido, Editor, FireRescue Magazine

The Gravity of Charm

Never underestimate the power of sincerity

He’s the only man I know who was bigenough to have one foot planted firmly infire service tradition while having the otherstriving toward a better, brighter future.


First, He ChangedEverything

Jim’s fire service colleagues celebrate his life, legacy & visionof what the fire service could be

T he other day, I became transfixedand temporarily paralyzed. My wife

and I were stopped at an intersection,and I watched in wondrous awe as abrand new Phoenix Fire Departmentpumper drove past us. Nothing in theworld compares to the sight and noiseof—and emotion evoked by—a full-dressed fire engine and all its responseequipment clearing the way. Silvereagles, gold leaf and chrome bells setagainst high-gloss red paint, along withthe sounds of an angry, impatient “Q,” astuttering air horn and a downshifting,howling diesel engine create the mostabsolutely religious experience possible.Finally, my wife gently nudged me, “Wecan go now; they are gone.”

As I came to and drove on, the expe-rience caused me to consider a set ofongoing thoughts I’ve been havingregarding the loss of Jim Page. I’m try-ing to relate to what he has done forour service and how we must somehowcontinue his efforts. A lot has alreadybeen said, and I sincerely believe a lotmore will be said as we all reflect onhow he has changed what we do, howwe do it and what we have become. Ithink it will take a long time for us torealize his effect.

As I watched the red-lights-and-sirenparamedic pumper go by, I realized theywere going on an EMS call. (I waseavesdropping on the dispatch channelon my trusty old scanner.) It suddenlystruck me that if I had watched thatsame company BJP (before Jim Page)respond on 10 calls, they would havebeen going to protect some piece ofproperty on pretty much all 10 of thosecalls. AJP (after Jim Page), eight of those10 responses would deliver service to ahuman. Before, the “customer” was abuilding that was hosting a physicalproblem. After, it was a person who washosting a human problem.

Very simply, Jim persuasively and per-sonally led us from within—as a highlycredible insider—to use our decentral-ized resources, highly trainable person-nel, red-lights-and-siren rolling stock,well-established local deployment sys-tem and (most of all) trust-based reputa-tion to help Mrs. Smith in a new way. Hetook us to the next level of keeping thepromise we make her when we becomefirefighters: We will protect her from

whatever is wrecking her day. BJP, we pretty much selected out any

problem that did not involve the prod-ucts of combustion in some way. As ayoung, on-duty firefighter, I watchedthrough the venetian blinds of a fire sta-tion as the local mortician unloaded arolling cot out of the back of a hearse (!)to transport our across-the-street neigh-bor and his heart attack to the hospital.I asked my captain if we should helpthem. He said, “If they want us torespond, they will dispatch us. We openthe big door when they tell us to openthe big door. Sit down and shut up, kid.”(Sorry Mrs. Smith.)

My fire department’s reaction to help-ing our neighbor creates a historic pic-ture of the system that Jim Page changed.In fairness to my old captain, he was just

a reflection of the old-time system heworked in. Long-term, autocratic non-empowerment produces severe psy-chosclerosis (hardening of the head).

A lot of energy, attention and confu-sion are always directed toward theprocess of change. Not very much realchange stuff gets packaged up and deliv-ered until and unless some change agentactually shows up. I have noticed as Itrudged through my career that changeagents come in all sizes and shapes. Amajor part of change-agent effectivenessis based on their personal motivation.Asking someone else to change almostinstantly becomes a very intense, inter-personal process. All bets are off duringperiods of major change. This is whenuncertainty and vulnerability start flyingaround the people, places and thingsaffected by that major change.

Based on the intensity of the process,it doesn’t take the changees very long tofigure out where the changers are com-ing from. It also does not take those samechangees very long to decide for them-selves if they believe in and trust the

change agents. The changees develop areaction based on how sane, self-servingand genuinely committed they think thechange agent is. The change agent can-not produce an amount of change that islarger than the confidence of those whomust act out that change.

Jim created the most profound transi-tion that has ever occurred in theAmerican fire service and has left anincredible legacy that will last virtuallyforever. The effect of his efforts pro-duces an example of what an effective(and very special) change agent actuallylooks like. Most of us don’t have any-where close to the personal tools Jimcame from the factory with, but examin-ing his approach might bring out thebest in us—and cause me to miss himeven more.

1. Jim’s foundation and launchingpad was having been a street firefighter.He validated himself as a member of avery effective, active and progressive firedepartment (Los Angeles County FireDepartment). He had great respect,knowledge, skill and affection for ourservice. His pride was lifelong and veryapparent. Simply, he was one of us. Hechanged us because he loved us, notbecause he was ashamed of us. He wasconsistently motivated to do the rightthing for the right reason. He did notwant us to stop fighting fires—he onlywanted us to use those same resourcesmore creatively.

2. Like all really effective changeagents, he was able to visualize in afuturistic way what we could be. He sawthe potential for how our basic resourcescould be used to deliver an expandedlevel of service. He had the personal skill(brains and guts) to translate and trans-fer that vision to a wide variety of fireservice and medical system players. Heeffectively was able to practice the “art ofthe possible.”


Kick the Big Door Wide OpenBy Alan V. Brunacini, Chief, Phoenix Fire Department

He persuasively & personally led us fromwithin—as a highly credible insider—to use ourdecentralized resources, highly trainablepersonnel & well-established local deploy-ment system … to help Mrs. Smith in a new way.

3. He increased his capability, qualifi-cations and personal influence beyondhis fire officer experience. Becoming anauthor, a lawyer, a publisher and a busi-nessman all increased his influence andcredibility. He was able to make a biggerdeal, with a wider range of people,higher up the food chain. He maximizedthe personal gifts given to him and usedthose abilities to create a better world.

4. He created an enormous amountof fire service and medical systemchange over a long period of time. Hewas very patient. He connected to andconverted one person and one firedepartment at a time. He quietly andeffectively led the EMS parade byassembling all the paraders. Eventually,all of us found ourselves happily march-ing behind him to a better place.

5.Jim was a durable player whounderstood that making changes in thereal world involves a combination ofwinning some and losing some. He knewthe only place you could change thescore was on the field, and that’s wherehe played. We are effective to the extentwe can keep going when we get set back.Pipsqueaks dance around the safe, no-risk edges of the system, making cos-metic changes. Jim took on thedangerous, exciting center of our day-to-day local routine and created a hugechange in the most basic and durablepart of our system—the composition ofour local, up close and personalresponse activity. Simply, he changedwhat we’d opened the “big door” for.BJP—100% fire; AJP—80% EMS and20% fire. Wow!

The next time you hear a siren, seethe blinkin’ lights, and pull over to let alit-up fire truck go by, look real close.Somewhere on the truck, you will seethe reflection of a bald-headed guy, witha twinkle in his eye and an impish grin.It’s Chief Page riding with us to go helpMrs. Smith. He’s there on every call.

About 10 months ago, I was workinguncharacteristically late in my

office after the staff had gone for theday. Suddenly, I became aware of a pres-ence. When I looked up from my com-puter, I saw through my window the faceof an old acquaintance, Jim Page.

As the current fire chief in the city ofMonterey Park, Calif.—a position theesteemed Mr. Page used to hold—Iimmediately considered whether tosecure the premises more tightly, figuringhe must have come to reclaim his formerposition. But I gave in to that bright,mustached smile and invited him in.

In typical Jim Page fashion, he wasn’tthere for himself, but wanted to say helloand to encourage me to take a good,hard look at some folks who were apply-ing for a position within our departmentand for whom he had great accolades.We spoke about some of his days withMonterey Park, and he related anecdotesthat brought me to my knees in laughter.Then as quickly as he arrived, he wasgone. On to some other project, I’msure. When Jim Page left your presence,there was always a momentary energyvacuum. Things seemed quieter thanbefore his arrival, and you knew some-one special had just left the building.

Jim Page grew up in the city ofMonterey Park, and he used to tell thestory of walking by the fire stations hereas a young man and stopping to speakwith the firefighters. No doubt, the mindthat was always working overtime madesome insightful inquiries of those fire-fighters with regard to their chosen pro-fession. He gave credit to those talks fordriving him to become a firefighter. Onhis 21st birthday—the earliest allowabletime—Jim Page submitted his applica-tion to join the fire department of thecity of Monterey Park. To its credit, thecity hired him on Aug. 7, 1957, andhelped launch a career that would touchmany lives and would change the face ofthe fire service in the United States.

Never one to pay too much homageto the status quo, Jim headed for newopportunities after spending slightlymore than two years with our depart-ment. He accepted a position with ourneighbor, Los Angeles County FireDepartment, where he spent many yearsand where he advanced to the rank ofbattalion chief and became nationally

recognized for his work with the new firedepartment paramedic program. Jimeventually left Los Angeles County tohead across the country to NorthCarolina and new challenges.

The old adage says, “One can never gohome.” Jim dispelled that myth by return-ing to Monterey Park as the fire chief onApril 14, 1986. The Jim Page legend per-meates the department to this day. Priorto his arrival, the city manager had sug-gested that a public safety director posi-tion could head both the police and firedepartments. At this time, recruitmentefforts for a new fire chief were wellunderway, and James O. Page was at thetop of the list. His interviews were appar-ently persuasive. The public safety direc-tor concept was discarded, and Jim wasgiven the reins of this outfit, which heimmediately began to change.

Jim’s organization and his ability toarticulate his plans quickly won the con-fidence of the rank and file, as well asthe city council. He borrowed and builtupon his earlier experiences and pro-posed that the city purchase two rescuetransport ambulances. Through a com-bination of hiring new personnel andsending some of the existing firefightersto paramedic school, he quickly estab-lished one of the finest prehospital careprograms in the county. He recognizedthat with two acute care hospitals call-ing Monterey Park their home, patientcare could only benefit from dedicatedALS units.

Jim wrote the ambulance subscrip-tion program we still employ today. Thisprogram gives the poor and indigentaccess to emergency medical care andtransport for a fraction of the cost of asingle patient transport.

Not one to let the grass grow underhis feet, Jim Page led this department forapproximately three years, after whichhe left to devote more time to his nextventure, Jems Communications. But hispride and leadership remain. Many ofthe paramedic firefighters he hired arethe current officers, and each one car-ries a portion of the Page philosophy,leadership and work ethic within him,and we are a better department for that.

Goodbye, Jim! Your friends atMonterey Park thank you for enrichingour lives and will miss you.


You Can Go Home AgainBy Tim Murphy, Chief, Monterey Park Fire Department

Jim changed the fire service for the better onedepartment—and one person—at a time.

On the morning of Sept. 5, whilehaving breakfast with my wife, I

received a phone call from a closefriend on the Los Angeles County FireDepartment. Chief Jim Page had diedsuddenly the previous day, my friendtold me. The shock and disbelief wereoverwhelming. I could not believe thata man with Jim’s passion for life andphysical fitness could have died. Thiswas the man I looked up to as a rookiefirefighter and who served as my men-tor on the Los Angeles County FireDepartment. This was the chief I knewfor 35 years and loved because of thedifferences he made in the fire serviceacross this great nation.

I first ran into Captain Jim Page on amajor wildland fire in the Malibu, Calif.,area in 1969. Page was assigned as thestrike team leader, and I was a firefighteron one of the engines assigned to thatstrike team. I can still remember Jim tak-ing our whole crew and walking to getthe layout of the surrounding area. Hewould quote his battalion chief, the leg-endary Harvey Anderson, and say, “Yougotta get close to nature out here, boy.Nothing is learned from the seat on thatrig. You gotta walk these trails andfireroads.” Jim practiced what hepreached and always led the way.

In 1970, I had promoted to engineerand was assigned to Station 36 in thecity of Carson. Soon after my appoint-ment, Jim arrived as the newly appointed

battalion chief. Page had been assignedto Battalion 7 and was charged withcoordinating the countywide implemen-tation of paramedic rescue services.Paramedic training was in full swing atHarbor General Hospital, and the para-medic program was expanding at a rapidrate throughout Los Angeles County. Allof this was due to L.A. CountySupervisor Kenneth Hahn and the visionof Jim Page. Jim could always see aheadof others and had the keen mind neededto guide programs through political andadministrative quagmires. Firefighterslove to fight fire, but Jim would alwaysremind us that our ability to maintain

our wages and benefits would be drivenby EMS.

During this same time, Jim wasassigned as the technical consultant andwriter for the Emergency! televisionseries. (Also see “Lights! Camera!Sirens! Action!” p. 12.) Jim wasn’t happyunless he had at least three or four ironsin the fire. Jim involved everyone aroundhim—and Station 36—in Emergency! Iwas the engineer on the pilot episode,

which was filmed at a burned-out light-ing company. There we were in the mid-dle of the night, fire burning, enginesresponding to the scene, and I was at thepump panel doing my thing. They calledfor a break, so I took the pump out ofgear and ran the rig at idle. When we gotback to filming, I forgot to put the pumpin gear, so of course there was no watercoming out of the hoselines. BobCinader yelled, “Cut! Cut!” I was morti-fied. Jim said aloud, “Don’t worry. EvenJack Webb forgets a few lines on occa-sion.” Thanks to Jim, I was able to par-ticipate in at least three otherEmergency! episodes. Jim always knew

how to make people feel at home, com-fortable and a part of the team.

By 1973, I had promoted to captainand was assigned to Truck 3 in East LosAngeles. The promotion was due, inlarge part, to Jim’s mentoring and exam-ple. Around the middle of 1973, Jim leftthe department for the East Coast,where he remained for the next 10 years.Our relationship continued with occa-sional phone calls, cards or letters. In1984, Jim returned to California. Soonafter, he was hired as Chief of theMonterey Park Fire Department.

As I sit in my office today and reflecton one of the most rewarding profes-sional relationships of my career, I thankGod that he brought James O. Page intomy life. I don’t believe anyone can ade-quately describe in words this husband,father, lawyer, editor and brother fire-fighter. It’s like trying to put your armsaround the Empire State Building. Hepossessed so many wonderful traits:physical stature, a booming voice,knowledge, honesty and humbleness.Jim was a class act. He advanced the fireservice, placed EMS in its proper placeand will never be forgotten.

Without you Jim, the glass will be halfempty. Thanks for 35 years. JOP


The Glass Half EmptyBy John Price, Captain (ret.), Los Angeles County Fire Department

Jim served with the Los Angeles County Fire Department from 1959 to 1973. During histenure, he worked as a firefighter, frefighter-specialist, fire captain and battalion chief.

Jim always had the vision to see ahead ofothers & the keen mind to guide programs through political & administrative quagmires.

I t wasn’t much of a surprise tothose who knew Jim Page whenhe announced in 2002 that hewas going to buy a custom, heavy-

duty RV and spend the next few yearsvisiting small towns and fire depart-ments across the United States.

The image of Jim Page on a coast-to-coast RV trip may have struck some asodd. After all, Jim was so, well, worldly.He had accomplished great things, waswell-educated, had a better voice thanJames Earl Jones, navigated Capitol Hillwith grace and ease, had traveled 3 mil-lion air miles, visited each of the 200most populous U.S. cities (in the yearssince launching the JEMS annual surveyand report about the same cities) andmore. He was on a first-name basis withanyone who was someone in fire andEMS. Jim always looked damn good inany one of his three-piece suits.

So what would Jim Page be doingdriving around in an RV?

First, you have to know that Jim wasan unmatched champion for the little

guy. You saw it everytime he served as counsel(often pro bono) for an EMT, paramedicor firefighter being wrongfully charged,and you could see it in Jim’s intolerancefor corporate scoundrels and bureau-crats alike.

In the same way he was an advocatefor the underdog, Jim was somehowdrawn to smaller towns and departments.(Maybe it also had something to do withthe fact he spent time in rural Kansas inhis youth.) Jim saw that the smallertowns and rural areas were where therubber literally met the road for the vastmajority of fire and EMS agencies andpersonnel. He wanted to be there.

Jim’s unyielding curiosity and drivesimply wouldn’t allow him to while awayhis retirement on a bass boat or the golfcourse (never!). He was among the mostknowledgeable people I’ve ever met, andyet he was always pushing himself tolearn more and impart that knowledge toothers. (An example of Jim’s insatiableappetite for self-learning was when, a

few years ago, after leaving his indeliblemark on EMS and fire, Jim became avolunteer with the California HighwayPatrol. He said he was partially moti-vated to find out “what makes cops tick,”but it’s not hard to speculate on whatJim’s impact on law enforcement mighthave been if the state hadn’t ended theprogram only months later.)

Of course, as noted elsewhere in thissupplement (see “The Man & HisMachines,” p. 26), Jim simply loved bothair (he was a pilot, too) and land-boundmachines of all shapes and sizes. So itgoes without saying that not just any RVwould do for Jim; it had to be challeng-ing to drive, and it wouldn’t hurt if it wasabout the size of a fire truck.

Finally, Jim also related that this tripwould be a way to spend quality timewith his wife, Jane, their dog, Maggie,and other members of his family whileon road trips. He knew that if he didn’tget out of the office and on the road, he


The Road Less Traveled

Jim Page’s amazing tour ofsmall-town fire & EMS

would never break himself away fromhis tireless work of writing, speaking,practicing law, consulting and answer-ing dozens (and sometimes hundreds)of calls, e-mails and letters a day fromfire and EMS personnel all over the

country. As usual, Jim’s own writingsays it best. Here’s what he

wrote in his Burning Issuescolumn in FireRescue Mag-azine in April 2004.

We realize most of youdon’t live and work in bigcities. Instead you make

things safe in small townsand suburbs rarely noticed

by fire-service magazines.You explore new and better

ways to fight fire and rescuepeople with very limited

resources. … This adventure issupposed to combine retirementand adventure with relaxation andjust enough work to exercise thegray matter, satisfy my curiosity andshare information with others.Jim’s itinerary was based on Norman

Crampton’s 1993 book, The 100 BestSmall Towns in America. His goal was totravel for a few weeks, visiting towns onhis list—and any other interesting sitesalong the way. He would return home fora couple of months and then begin thenext adventure. At the time of his pass-ing, Jim had visited 30 of the 100 smalltowns (see map).

It was important to Jim that the visitsbe unannounced. He wanted to see thefirehouses and personnel in their “natu-ral state.” (Can you imagine moppingthe vehicle bay and looking up to see theChief James O. Page walk through thedoor?) So, when the Jems staff askedhim if we could paint “FireRescueMagazine Tour” on the side of his rig,NASCAR-style, he politely declined.

Most often, what Jim saw on his jour-ney impressed him. He saw fire andEMS personnel who took pride in theirwork, equipment, stations and appara-tus. They were professional and repre-sented the best of EMS and fire services.

But Jim also saw a side of modern fireand EMS he found disturbing—and hedidn’t hesitate to call out unprofessionalbehavior in the stories he wrote abouthis travels. Jim saw firefighters in thePacific Northwest at a highway trafficaccident arrive riding the tailboard, somewithout PPE. And he watched as theyproceeded to wash hazardous fluids fromthe scene into a protected river.

In several states, he saw what hetermed “recliner abuse”: firefighters inuntucked uniforms who wouldn’t get upfrom their La-Z-Boys when Jim rang thebell. Here’s an excerpt from Jim’sNovember 2004 Burning Issues col-umn (one of four he submitted prior tohis death):

If members of a fire company rou-tinely occupy the recliners betweenthe daylight hours of 8 a.m. to 5p.m., their leader has failed themand the community they have thehonor of serving. A harsh judgment?Maybe so. But watching Oprah orsleeping through an afternoonmovie cannot prepare you for theharsh realities of a post 9/11 world.Overall, Jim saw more positives than

negatives. He called Jems from the firststop of his trip, the Northern Californiacity of Ukiah. Jim was excited. He saidthe department had staged animpromptu demonstration, and that hewould be spending time with the chieflater in the day.

His enthusiasm was contagious. Therest of the staff of FireRescue and JEMSeagerly awaited his calls from the road.He was always quick to tell us whichmagazines he saw on station coffeetables and relayed feedback he gatheredthat we could put to use immediately.

Although most of us on such a journeywould have simply met folks along the wayand shared some stories and laughs, thatwasn’t Jim’s style or ethic. Prior to settingoff on his journey, Jim had developed a 57-page questionnaire, which he personallywent through with each chief. The resultsof those surveys were compiled into a 66-column matrix. In addition to his anec-dotal findings, Jim wanted to collect harddata that would help him (and FireRescueand JEMS) determine issues and trends infire and EMS nationwide.

The information he gathered includedthe department budget, number of activepaid and volunteer members, ISO rating,population, total square miles, responsetime, total annual responses, structurefires, EMS calls, hazmat, 9-1-1 system,average EMS bill, whether they’dreceived FIRE Act grants, NFIRS partic-ipation, and more.

At the time of his passing, surveys hadbeen completed for more than half thedepartments he had visited. Our staff isstill trying to determine how best to fulfillJim’s vision for the surveys going forward.In the meantime, we’ve collected Jim’swritings on the site visits he completed

and posted them at www.jems.com/jimpage/roadlesstraveled. We will post thesurvey data as more are returned andassembled.

While this project was, in context,only a sliver of Jim’s life’s work, it’s tellingabout the sort of man he was. He wassomeone who wanted to hear everyone’sstories. Someone who just plain loved bigtrucks and the sound of that Jake brakeand Cat C-12 engine and the feeling ofbeing behind the wheel. Someone whocould have spent his time being winedand dined by big-wig politicos and VIPsexclusively, but instead chose to spend itwith common folk like you and me.

Someone who was a fireman’s firemandown to his bones. Someone who, after alifetime of dedication to his professionalcalling, had finally found a way to bringhis kids and grandkids along for the ride,to share his passion and joy with them.

It’s sad that Jim’s cross-country tripwas cut short—for his family, for fire andEMS … for all of us. I can’t think ofmany folks who would dream up a far-fetched idea like personally visiting 100small-town fire departments from coastto coast, gathering scores of data andstories, all with the intent of impartingthat knowledge for the betterment of fireand EMS and the citizens we serve.

In fact, I can think of only oneperson.

Jeff Berend is publisher/general managerof Jems Communications/Elsevier. Jeffwas lucky enough to have the opportunityto work with Jim Page for 12 years andnever took for granted how fortunate hewas to be in Jim’s presence.

JOP


By Jeff Berend

Jim Page with his 30-foot long, 2003Haulmark MH-1 Motorcoach. In true Pagestyle, this custom rig features a Caterpillar C-12 engine, 6-speed Allison transmissionand a Jake brake.


O n May 11, 1971, televisionproducer/actor Jack Webbattended a meeting of NBCofficials in Burbank, Calif.,

and proposed a new series about rescue.Two of his previous TV ventures,Dragnet (starring himself as LAPDSergeant Joe Friday) and Adam 12, hadbeen successful, so NBC planners gavehim the verbal OK to start puttingtogether a two-hour movie for televisionand to use the movie as the world pre-mier of an ongoing series of weeklyepisodes.

Webb asked writer/producer RobertA. Cinader to get started on researchfor the series. Cinader contacted LosAngeles County Fire Department(LACoFD) Public Information OfficerDick Friend and told him they neededsomeone who could do some researchand writing for them.

Coincidentally, Jim Page’s manu-script for his first book—a text on firecompany supervision—was on Friend’sdesk, waiting for official review beforepublication. So Friend gave CinaderJim’s name and told him he was on dutyat Station 7 in West Hollywood.

Cinader meets PageBy 3 p.m., Jim, Friend and Cinader wereseated at the kitchen table in FireStation 7. Jim was the “C” shift captainat the station. The crew mesmerizedCinader with details of their first-inattack on the 1970, 10-story PlayboyClub fire, the most challenging call oftheir careers. The fire was knockeddown 28 minutes after they received thealarm. They immediately had Cinader’sattention and respect.

Cinader then went to Jim’s office todiscuss his need for a researcher. Jimquickly realized that Cinader wasn’t

really sure what he was looking for. Infact, he wasn’t really sure what rescuewas all about. Jim thought it would bedifficult to present a variety of complexrescues that would keep a televisionaudience excited on a weekly basis. Sohe wasted no time telling him aboutthe department’s exciting new para-medic program.

From the day the first six LACoFDfirefighters started training to be para-medics (in September 1969), a lot ofpeople assumed that they, and the entireprogram, would fail. So Jim wasn’t sur-prised (or deterred) when he tried to tellCinader about the six bright young fire-fighters who were reading ECGs, start-ing IVs, pushing drugs and defibrillatinghearts and found Cinader wasn’t inter-ested. “America’s not ready to watchpeople have heart attacks on TV,”Cinader said.

The rescue stories began to emerge,and Jim wrote a short one- to two-pagesummary of each. But, before long, thelimits of the concept became obvious.There were only so many kinds of cave-ins, building collapses and similarcalamities that could be depicted with-out encountering potentially boringsimilarities.

After several frustrating weeks ofresearch, Jim turned in his work, about50 scenarios, around which fully devel-oped stories of physical rescue situationscould be written.

Opportunity knocks: Jim’s promotion & EMS assignmentAt the time, Jim was waiting for hisbar exam results, and his name wasat the top of the eligibility list forpromotion to battalion chief. Thepromotion occurred on July 15, 1971,and he was officially licensed as a

California lawyer 13 days later. His assignment was Battalion 7,

headquartered at Station 36, about amile from Harbor General Hospital. Inaddition to his other duties, he wasassigned to work with the new paramedicprogram. It was his dream come true.

Station 36 actually had more para-medics than needed to staff its rescueunit so Jim assigned one of them, DaleCauble, to serve as his aide for the firstfew weeks of his new assignment.

Jim hooks Cinader with a few ride-alongsDuring his first week as a battalionchief, Jim received a surprising call fromCinader reporting that Webb and NBCwere getting closer to an agreement onthe proposed TV series, but had con-cluded it would be impossible to sustaina series about physical rescue situations;they were interested in Jim’s proposal

Lights! Camera!Sirens! Action!Jim Page’s impact on Emergency! & its influence overearly paramedic system development worldwide

Jack Webb and Battalion Chief Jim Pagewatch as firefighter “actors” perform flaw-lessly during the filming of the Emergency!world premier film.

that the series feature paramedics in fieldrescues and dramatic medical situations.America was ready to watch people haveheart attacks on TV.

Jim quickly invited Cinader to ridewith him at Battalion 7. Cinaderaccepted the offer, and the trio began toshow up at medical incidents throughoutthe district. Normally, chiefs didn’t rollon medical calls, but Jim wanted to makesure Cinader saw enough to make his TVseries accurate and authentic.

The ride-alongs excited Cinader andallowed him to see and hear about sev-eral incidents that would affect thedesign and content of Emergency! Forexample, he witnessed several encoun-ters with a private ambulance servicethat were openly antagonistic to theparamedics.

Station 127, a short distance from theSan Diego Freeway, was selected as theshow’s station. Coincidentally, an exactduplicate of Engine 127 was based atStation 60, on the grounds of UniversalStudios. During the first year and a halfof the series, this proved very convenientfor the filmmakers.

What’s in a name?Early in October 1971, Webb made hismajor casting decisions. He selected hisex-wife, Julie London, to play the role ofCarol Bebout, the real-life critical careunit nurse at Harbor General who hadtrained the first group of paramedics.Her TV name would be Dixie McCall.

Bobby Troup (London’s current hus-band) was selected to play the role of aphysician. The real-life role of Dr. J.Michael Criley was to be depicted byactor Robert Fuller. The two principalparamedics in the show were to be playedby Universal contract actors RandolphMantooth and Kevin Tighe.

About the time these casting deci-sions were occurring, Dale Cauble, whohad been hired by Webb’s staff to reviewthe script, informed Jim that Webb haddecided to name the “high-energy” para-medic (to be played by Mantooth) “JimPage.” Web had often used the realnames of some LAPD personnel in theDragnet series.

Jim met with Webb the next day,expressed his appreciation for the honorof having a TV character share his name,but explained that his boss alreadythought he was too visible with the pro-gram. Webb changed the subject withoutaddressing his concerns. The next day,however, the character initially named“Jim Page” became “John Gage.”

Those famous radio tonesDuring the filming of stock footage atStation 127, fire alarms had beenreceived over the selective calling radioalarm unit, which was activated by atwo-tone series of radio-transmitted sig-nals that sounded like an out-of-tuneorgan. If the station’s radio monitor wasturned on, the first tone would be audi-ble for the entire duration of the alarm.

When the second tone sounded, theselective calling unit immediately recog-nized it by pitch and set off a claxon-typealarm buzzer in the station. Specifictones for other stations would be audiblefor their entire length without setting off127’s alarm.

One of the sound technicians for theshow was fascinated with the alarmtones. He asked Jim to arrange severalalarm tests that he could record. Therecording found its way to composerNelson Riddle, who used the discordantnotes as the musical theme for the series.

The first scriptOn Nov. 11, 1971, exactly six monthsafter the idea for Emergency! was con-ceived, Cauble arrived at Battalion 7headquarters with the completed world-premier script. It consisted of 113 pagesand included 398 scenes. For more thantwo hours, Jim and Cauble reviewed it,and with each page, they became moreconcerned about their fire department’simage—and their own careers.

In one scene, the writers had a battal-ion chief attending a cocktail party inuniform. Jim called Cinader and stronglyobjected. Now one of the gang atBattalion 7, Cinader listened and workedwith Jim and Cauble throughout theseries to keep the actors’ portrayals pro-fessional, a bond of trust that hasaffected the public’s image of paramedicsand firefighters to this day.

Jack Webb, directorJack Webb appointed himself directorof the world premier. Problem was, Jim


By A.J. Heightman & Richard Yokley

From left: Kevin Tighe, Robert Fuller, JulieLondon, Bobby Troup and RandolphMantooth—the actors at the heart ofEmergency!’s success.

Jim Page and a host of talented and dedicated LACoFD personnel worked with actorsRandolph Mantooth (left) and Kevin Tighe (right) to turn Emergency! into a professional depic-tion of ALS that helped advance system development throughout the world.

felt the script for the industrial fire wasunworkable. The depictions appearedto be the work of someone who hadnever seen a big structure fire. The dia-logue that had been written for the inci-dent commander and other firepersonnel was overly dramatic andunprofessional. This time, Jim calledWebb directly and pleaded his case.“Don’t worry about it,” Webbresponded. “I’ll let you straighten it outwhen we shoot it.”

The first shootEarly on the morning of Nov. 22, 1971,Fire Station 8 on Santa Monica Blvd. inWest Hollywood became a hub of activ-ity as dozens of studio technicians andcraftsmen began setting up for the firstday of filmmaking.

Webb had cast his long-time friend,Art Ballinger, as the chief. Ballinger hadplayed the role of Capt. Brown (a realperson) on several Dragnet episodes.Jim learned that Ballinger was 62 yearsold, two years older than the LACoFDmandatory retirement age. He men-tioned that fact to Cinader. “I don’t givea s—!” he snapped. “He looks like a firechief.” With silver hair, erect bearingand steely eyes, Ballinger did look like afire chief, and his clear and command-ing voice completed the image.

The big sceneMeanwhile, preparations continued forthe big nighttime fire scene. The studioplanned to use six cameras, all shootingsimultaneously. The fire would bestarted, and the fire crews and equip-ment would arrive on cue and com-mence the attack while the cameras

rolled. Previously, Jim had visited withall the fire crews that would participatein the event. As they reviewed the pre-fire plan, he emphasized that therewould be no margin for error. Even ifscenes could be re-shot, the buildingcouldn’t be rebuilt in time to meet theshow’s deadline.

Webb arrived at the scene late in theafternoon. Jim briefed him on the planthat had been set up. He also remindedhim that the script for this segment ofthe show remained very unrealistic. “Tohell with the script,” Webb shot back.“You direct this thing; do it just like youwould a real fire.”

Never timid, Jim headed straight forthe TelePrompter operator. (The Tele-Prompter was to be placed off-cameraand provide Ballinger with his speakinglines during filming of the fire scene.) Ithad already been set up with the script’sunrealistic dialogue. In less than 15minutes, Jim had scrapped the dialoguefrom the script and replaced it withlines that would make Ballinger soundlike a real battalion chief and the firesuppression operation appear more pro-fessional to viewers.

Ballinger accepted the changes with-out complaint. To help keep thingsunder control, Jim also assignedanother aide, Don Pierpont, to assistBallinger and serve as his driver duringthe filming.

Finally, all was ready, and the firecrews were poised on the apparatus ablock away. The special effects techni-cians lit several propane trays, and thebuilding began to burn. Jim stood nextto Webb with his portable radio in hand(see photo, p. 12). As the fire began to

radiate heat and fill the air with a roar-ing crackle, Webb nodded to Jim.LACoFD’s Frequency 1 suddenly car-ried an unusual command: “Roll it!”

Without a hitch, firefighters set uptheir hose lines. Jacks were pulled intoplace under the ladder truck, and thehydraulic pump whined as the steel lad-der rose skyward. Engines moaned inharmony as pumps were engaged andthrottles opened.

Minutes passed without a sign oferror. Jim looked at Webb, who was grin-ning widely. Ballinger held a portableradio to his mouth and spoke his newlines as though he’d studied them fordays. Finally, as firefighters advancedinto the flames with water flowing in afog pattern from their nozzles, Webbyelled, “Cut!”

Dozens of usually cynical filmmak-ers and technicians spontaneously letout a raucous cheer of appreciation forthe firefighters. Six minutes hadpassed, captured by six cameras operat-ing from different angles—36 minutesof film in all. “Print it,” Webb com-manded as the congratulations and patson the back continued.

The world premierAfter weeks of editing, the world premierwas completed with a soundtrack, expertediting and appropriate sound effects. Aprerelease showing was scheduled atUniversal. In attendance were localpoliticians, doctors and health officials,fire department representatives, a num-ber of paramedics, members of the castand most of the production crew.

Knowing that this was probably aonce-in-a-lifetime experience, Jim sat


Left: Filming an action scene for an Emergency! episode.Above: As paramedics “Johnny and Roy,” RandolphMantooth (right) and Kevin Tighe influenced a generation,leading many youngsters of the day to choose a career inEMS or the fire service.

down the next day and wrote the follow-ing paragraph to help remember it:

After years of watching police showsin frustration, it was exciting toanticipate a professionally produceddepiction of our fire departmentand our paramedics. When it finallycame on the screen, bigger than life,heralded by Nelson Riddle’s thememusic, the result was emotional formost of us. We still thought thescript was a little hokey, but thevisual impact of the fire and rescuescenes made up for it. I was seatedbehind one of my bosses and, whenthe industrial fire scenes were on thescreen, I could have sworn I sawgoose bumps on his neck. I was cov-ered with ’em.

On to the seriesNBC ordered six one-hour episodesbefore the movie even completed shoot-ing and scheduled Emergency! to startin the mid-season schedule. The one-hour episodes were filmed in a six- toeight-day shooting schedule.

Eventually, a total of 11, 60-minuteepisodes were filmed and aired that firstseason, plus the two-hour premier.

Jim’s direct influenceScripts for each of the episodes were sentfor review to Chief Houts, Friend, Jim,the LACoFD training section captainand the LACoFD firefighter/paramedictechnical advisor assigned to that specificepisode. They would then send written

comments and suggestions to Friend forreview.

Scripts were also sent to HarborGeneral Hospital (aka Rampart) forreview by A. Jim Lewis, MD, in theparamedic-training department run byDr. Criley, and by Ron Stewart, MD,medical consultant for the series.

Jim, Friend and a technical advisorwould then meet with Cinader and thedirectors, unit manager, producers,writers, and special effects and ward-robe people every Wednesday for a finalproduction meeting for the episodescheduled to start filming the followingMonday. The purpose of this meetingwas to review the script—page by page,scene by scene—and make any finalchanges.

Friend, Jim and the fire departmenttechnical advisor would make recom-mendations for editing, to ensure accu-racy and to protect the department’simage. Along those lines, Jim and Friendensured adherence to the LACoFDrules and regulations throughout thedevelopment of the series to make it asaccurate as possible.

As scripts were being reviewed, onearea that Jim and Friend focused on,particularly during the first season, wasthe banter that occurred in the squad orengine, originally scripted to be filmedwhile responding to an incident.

In a memo to Cinader, Jim wrote,“Frivolous banter between the menwhile responding to an emergency situ-ation is, in our opinion, inappropriate.

The fact of a possiblelife-threatening situa-tion, coupled withthe serious businessof traversing busy citystreets with red lightsand siren, precludeslight-heartedness, toindicate a possibleunsafe response.”

This firm stanceset a tone of profes-sionalism that rever-berated throughoutthe world as viewersformed their first andlasting impression ofparamedics and howthey should act. It alsoset the bar for futureparamedics in training.For example, LACoFDpolicy required all per-sonnel to wear their

helmets while responding to emergen-cies. So you’ll notice that wheneverSquad 51 responded to an incident,Johnny and Roy always had their hel-mets on. This important policy, alongwith many other policies, was incorpo-rated into the series thanks to Jim Page.

Prior to his retirement fromLACoFD in September 1973, Jimpenned two Emergency! scripts underthe pseudonym Jim Owens (to keephimself out of trouble with LACoFD),and one that aired in season threeunder yet another name. His scriptsattempted to show the actual problemswithin the LACoFD at the time, such asin his “Drivers” and “Trainee” scripts,both of which aired in season two.

During the 1973 writers’ strike, Jim,a Writer’s Guild member, couldn’t sub-mit any scripts under his own name. So,in order to continue the importantmomentum the show was having inEMS, Jim wrote the “Snakebite”episode and had his sister, not aWriter’s Guild member, use an alteredfirst name and her married surname(Carroll Christensen) to submit hisscript. The character’s name in theepisode is Ozella Peterson, Jim’s aunt.

Emergency! becomes a hitEmergency! premiered on Jan. 22,1972, one week after the movie. Theenormously popular program would airfor six seasons (through September1977), with 122 original one-hourepisodes, and always remained at thetop of the ratings, airing against suchtough competition as All In The Family.By 1976, Emergency! was being seen in41 countries worldwide and in theUnited States.

A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P, is editor ofJEMS. He became a fan of Emergency! atan early age and decided to become a para-medic because of the show. He didn’t knowJim Page’s major role in the series until hemoved to California in 1995 to work forJems. Jim never bragged about the part heplayed in Emergency! Contact A.J. via e-mail at [email protected].

Richard Yokley joined the Bonita-Sunnyside (Calif.) Fire Department in1972 and retired in December 1999 asan operations chief. Yokley is the authorof TV Firefighters and the soon to bepublished book, tentatively titled,Rampart, This is Squad 51—EverythingEmergency! Contact him via e-mail [email protected].

JOP


Jim with the restored Squad 51 on its way to the Smithsonian.Also see “The Man & His Machines,” p. 26.

D escribed by USA Today at thetime of his passing as “anemergency medical servicespioneer,” James O. Page’s

lifelong contributions to EMS are unpar-alleled. A knowledgeable, visionary, artic-ulate and courageous leader, Page was anoriginal thinker, a talented public speakerand a prolific writer whose wordsreached around the globe. Few people,however, know much about his decisionto move to North Carolina in 1973 or hisshort, but significant, 14-month stint aschief of the North Carolina Office ofEmergency Medical Services (NCOEMS). With years of experience as botha firefighter and a chief officer and witha relentless passion for improving patientoutcomes, he transformed EMS prac-tices in the tarheel state.

Changes in the windIn the 1960s, few communities in NorthCarolina, or the United States, providedadequate emergency medical care. Butseveral years later, the need for a nation-wide EMS system became clear. Manyfactors brought about this shift in focus,including advances in battlefield traumacare and transportation in Korea andVietnam; material and technologicalbreakthroughs in the U.S. space pro-gram; research in automotive safety, car-diac care and resuscitation; and theintroduction of new government fundingprograms, such as Medicare andMedicaid. Several complex EMS systemelements were identified by the federalgovernment and were included in theEMS Systems Act of 1973 (Public Law93-154), which called for the develop-ment of comprehensive systems of pre-hospital and hospital-based care.

In the 1970s, North Carolinabecame one of the first states in thecountry to begin a statewide, compre-

hensive effort to establishan EMS system in everycommunity, which involvedthe identification, selectionand recruitment of a full-time leader for the newlyestablished NC OEMS.

Jim didn’t come to theattention of North Carolinaofficials through the routineapplication process. Instead,he arrived via Hollywood. In1971, as a newly appointedLos Angeles County FireDept. (LACoFD) battalionchief, Jim was responsiblefor implementing the de-partment’s new paramedicprogram and was assigned to interfacewith Jack Webb and his team. By 1972,all of America had an opportunity to seethe LACoFD EMS program in actionthrough the series Emergency!

Folks in North Carolina were amongthose watching the popular program. Infact, much of North Carolina’s work toimplement a comprehensive EMS sys-tem can be traced to the show.

Because of the nationwide popularityof Emergency!, requests flowed intoNBC and LACoFD for speakers. At first,the actors in the widely popular programwere dispatched. But “... they startedpassing it down to directors and on down… to the writers and technical advisors,”Jim said. As a result, when NorthCarolina’s Buncombe County RescueSquad called LACoFD for a speaker forthe 1973 North Carolina Association ofRescue Squads Convention in Asheville,Chief Page was assigned to the task. Buthe admitted, “ … Quite frankly, at thetime I didn’t even know what a volunteerrescue squad was. There were volunteerfirefighters, of course, but none that Iknew of at the time who specifically did

rescue.” He added, “I jumped at theopportunity since I had never been eastof the Mississippi River.”

Of his meeting at the convention withrescue squad volunteers from acrossNorth Carolina, Jim said, “They all toldme they really wanted more and bettertraining, and that their state wasn’t pro-viding what they needed. I was toldabout a new state EMS law, and some-one in the audience urged me to contact[state officials] about a job.”

Jim was going through some hardtimes at home in California. He was alsoconcerned about management issuesback at the LACoFD, where not every-one was a fan of EMS or the new para-medic program.

“Page, with this paramedic thing,your name is mud,” one senior LACoFDchief had told him. “You really shouldn’ttake any more promotional exams. Everytime I hear about that paramedic pro-gram and you, it’s a problem.”

With this in mind, Jim called a stateofficial about the chief ’s role in the NCOEMS while on his trip to NorthCarolina and was invited to Raleigh for a


Bucking theSystemAs North Carolina’s first state EMS director, Jim faced down politicians & changed the face of EMS

James O. Page, Chief, Office of Emergency MedicalServices (second from left), and North Carolina GovernorJames Holshouser (right) meet prior to an award event onMay 17, 1974.

briefing on the new state EMS agencyand the open leadership position. Thebriefing came from David Warren, ayoung attorney from the University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill Instituteof Government, who was serving asinterim chief of the NC OEMS.

“… I looked at it [the job of chief],”said Jim, “but I was very noncommittaland I went on from Raleigh … and didn’tthink much more about it. I had nointerest in the job.”

A near-tragic incident involving anexplosion in his motor home on Oct. 11,1973, caused Jim to rethink his decision.“I started thinking about everything thathad happened, mulling it over and over ...Then, it was just like there was a mes-sage to me—like things were happeningthat were driving me toward that job. Isaid, ‘I’m going to call North Carolinatomorrow morning about that job.’”

Building a teamJim assumed the role of chief of the NCOEMS on Dec. 19, 1973. To implementthe North Carolina EMS program, heneeded skilled central and field staff. Heinherited some dedicated and talentedindividuals from various state agenciesand recruited several new team membersfrom varied backgrounds and localities.Using fire service titles, assistant chiefpositions were filled in communications,education, information systems, hospitalconsultation (i.e., trauma center desig-nation) and similar specialty areas.

With a population of approximately4.5 million in 1960, North Carolina’sresidents were spread between theAppalachian Mountains to the west andthe Atlantic Ocean to the east, with adistance of some 500 miles separatingthe two. The state had 100 counties,many of which were extremely isolated.Accordingly, the NC OEMS recruitedand based field coordinators in eachmajor geographic region of the state.

From the start, Jim and his teamappreciated that EMS field coordinatorswith local experience would play keyroles in generating county-level accept-ance. But the state bureaucracy was dif-ficult. A July 12, 1974, memo fromGerald Hinson, Manpower Manager,North Carolina Division of FacilityServices, to I.O. Wilkerson, Director ofNorth Carolina Facility Services (towhom Jim reported), states: “Mr. Page’sreaction to the decision I relayed [not tohire a candidate proposed by Page]comes as no surprise to this office, as it

has been consistent with his previousreactions and his incredible lack ofregard for established personnel policiesand procedures.”

During Jim’s early meetings with stateofficials, he warned those around himabout his leadership style. “I told them Iwas a hard-driving person that was veryimpatient—that I wanted to get thingsdone,” Jim said. “I had little patiencewith bureaucracy and why things could-n’t get done, and I would expect themembers of the staff and the EMS advi-sory committee to support me.”

The good, the bad & the uglyThe system developers knew their taskwas significant. The NC EMS Act of1973 called for a statewide system ofEMS that included development of andupgrades to training, vehicles, equip-ment, communications, trauma centerdesignation, medical records andresearch, air ambulances, etc.

Some elements were far easier thanothers to implement. Upgrading vehiclesand equipment, for example, wasencouraged and supported by new fed-eral standards in ambulance design andsubsequent nationwide vendor compli-ance. Federal and state grants in full or

partial support of new equipment andvehicle purchases across North Carolinahelped many local EMS agenciesthroughout the 1970s and early 1980s inupgrading or replacing rolling stock,clinical equipment and rescue gear.

But implementing other elementswasn’t as easy. One early agency priorityinvolved training statewide ambulancepersonnel to be emergency medicaltechnicians (EMTs). Based on federalstandards, the EMT course was 81 hourslong at the time. In the April 1974 issueof North Carolina EMS News, Jimstated: “Creating a comprehensive EMSsystem in a small, compact, urbanizedstate would be mainly a matter of dol-lars. Creating such a system in NorthCarolina, one of the most rural states inthe nation, cannot be accomplished withdollars alone. It involves the personalcommitment of nearly 10,000 people,many of who serve their fellow citizensas volunteers.”

Resistance from the startPolitical issues surrounding trainingrequirements and the pace set by statelaw for implementation eventually costJim his job. In fact, the EMT trainingstandard almost destroyed the NCOEMS and North Carolina’s overallEMS program.

The NC OEMS’s task of training andcertifying EMTs was monumental. Nostate-sponsored course of its kind hadever been conducted in North Carolina.With the passage of the NC EMS Act of1973, state government actively en-forced ambulance crew training stan-dards for the first time, but a firestorm ofopposition grew almost instantly.

Tom Harmelink, Jim’s deputy chief,notes, “Rescue squads and some funeralhomes were at the onset the largestproblems. In the rescue squads, becausethey were volunteers, they saw this[EMT training] as an extra burden onmany of them. ... There were a largenumber out there supporting us [NCOEMS], but a very vocal minority sawthis as too much to ask.”

But some of Jim’s political supportersand the NC OEMS clearly agreed withthe new training requirements. FormerNorth Carolina State Senator O’Neil

Jones says, “You just had to work yourway through it with these guys. ... Theirresponse was human nature, and youhad to understand that. And it hurt themto be told, ‘Well friend, even thoughyou’ve done this and you’ve been noble,and you are definitely going to heavenwhen you die, you don’t know a damnthing about CPR.’... What we were try-ing to do was see that when someone hasa wreck somewhere, if you come to thescene, I’ll be glad to give you a medal,but I want somebody working on mewho knows how to do it.”

Jim agreed with the overall require-ment and quickly proved he was a strongand highly visible champion of EMTtraining. Several EMS providers re-sponded favorably and began EMT train-ing. But Jim’s pro-training and educationposture, as well as the innovative natureof the overall EMS concept, accordedhim, as the point man, the unenviablerole of political lightning rod.


By William K. Atkinson, PhD, MPH, EMT-P

“Page, with this paramedic thing, yourname is mud,” one senior LACoFD chiefhad told him.

“What if I [had] arrived, and therewas no standard?,” Jim reflected. “Ithink I would have dealt with it like Idealt with a lot of other issues on afairly informal basis. I would have beenmuch more comfortable not having adeadline, but instead going out andselling the program and having it occurnaturally.”

EMT training programs were devel-oped throughout the state, with muchof the instruction occurring on commu-nity college campuses or at EMS sta-tions. In July 1974, OEMS Newsreported, “In a new state EMS programnot yet six months old, the NC OEMSwill soon certify its 1,000th [EMT].”

But pockets of resistance developedin and around a few rural communities.According to state officials, “Localopposition was organized, highly vocal,media intensive and politically active.”

Senator Jones puts the politics in per-spective: “The minute we started talkingstandards, out of the woodwork camethe rescue squads. The urban folks gaveup pretty much without a fight, but vol-unteer rescue squads are political pow-erhouses. And the next thing you know,state senators [were saying], ‘Man, youdone made the rescue squad mad, andthat crowd’s worth 5,000 votes. Whatare you doing to me?’”

NC OEMS field coordinator and vol-unteer rescue squad member MaxWesson says, “Most of the resistancecame from squads that wanted thetraining, but didn’t want anybody tellingthem they had to have it. ... They could-n’t determine the difference betweenproviding volunteer service with goodtraining and just providing volunteerservice, I guess you would say. Youknow, they felt like they were volunteer-ing, and they didn’t have to be trainedany better.”

North Carolina Secretary of HumanResources David Flaherty says, “Therewas a lot of reaction against it, and[State Senator] Nancy Chase was a realadvocate for the rescue squad boys, andthey weren’t hesitant to get her involvedagainst this thing. … And there was[State Senator and funeral home ambu-lance owner] Ollie Harris. He was a verystrong and close advocate for the squadsin his area. ... Right away, this thingwent in the face of their people, andOllie Harris and Nancy Chase saw theirvolunteers being threatened, and so dida lot of other people. We didn’t wantthat to occur. We wanted their buy-in,

and, frankly, the state would never haveenough money [to replace the servicesprovided by volunteers if they wereforced out of EMS].

“I was close to Nancy and Ollie anda lot of legislators who were close totheir fire departments and rescuesquads,” Flaherty continues. “They weresaying, ‘Help, this is gonna hurt us.’ …The thing that gave Ollie and Nancyparticular punch was the fact that theyweren’t looking statewide; they weren’tambitious to run for any office; theywere just so damn dedicated that localissues were all powerful with them.”

The shame of illiteracyIn retrospect, many officials believe thatilliteracy fueled resistance to the newEMS training standards in NorthCarolina. For the first time, ambulancepersonnel were required to attend for-mal classes, read an EMT textbook, andpass written and practical EMT exami-nations. Early NC OEMS team memberSteve Acai points out, “We did havesome people [on rescue squads] whocouldn’t read and write.”

The issue extended to volunteersquad leaders. Another NC OEMS offi-cial, Bob Bailey, reports, “There wereseveral members who had minimalreading and writing skills. ... [But] itdidn’t come up formally because, obvi-ously, squad members aren’t gonnastand around saying, ‘I have a problemreading the newspaper,’ or ‘I’m not com-fortable signing my name to a check.’…We [the younger members] were not ina position to ask [that] kind of question[of] the elder statesmen.”

Political pressure mounted to extendthe EMT certification deadline, whichJim was willing to do, and to allow oralexamination for EMT candidates, whichJim was not willing to do. Jim told me,“[Secretary Flaherty] really poured onthe pressure for a compromise by theNC OEMS on the issue of oral exams.”

Deputy Chief Harmelink recalls,“They saw the law as a threat, and theywere afraid they couldn’t pass the test.Therefore, [they] would not becomecertified and would lose stature. …They didn’t mind sitting through theprogram, but they sure didn’t want any-body to test their competence. ... I knewpeople that wanted an oral exam, but we[the NC OEMS] held firm on the issueof no oral testing.”

As a direct result of political pressurefrom isolated rescue squads, I.O.

Wilkerson, on behalf of SecretaryFlaherty, asked Jim to resign on Jan. 29,1975. Jim refused and was thereforeterminated.

The aftermathColonel Charles A. Speed, former com-mander of the North Carolina HighwayPatrol, replaced Jim Page as chief of theNC OEMS. Like Jim, Colonel Speedwas a highly principled man and like-wise refused to compromise the EMTtraining program through oral exams.

At the time of Jim’s termination, onlymonths after the EMT training programbegan, 2,500 EMTs had been trainedand certified, and several technical ele-ments of the statewide EMS systemwere being successfully implemented.By March 1975, the number of certifiedEMTs statewide climbed to 3,500. By1977, 13,000 EMTs were certified, and,by 1984, the number of certified NorthCarolina EMTs had climbed to 50,000.

Reflecting on his firing years later,Jim told me: “Making the rescue squadsmad was not a good political thing to do,but I wouldn’t do what [some electedofficials] told me to do about the EMTtesting. … [They] wanted me to author-ize an oral exam to cater to the illiterates,and I wouldn’t do it. If I had, I supposeI might still be there. But I would havelost the respect of everybody who’d doneit the hard way. I knew the risks involved,and it was really a question of whether Iacted like a bureaucrat and avoided riskor believed in my program.

“We pushed and pushed and pusheduntil it finally got some momentum. Ihad to offend so many state and electedofficials that they fired me. Now I realizemy role was to be an ice-breaker to ele-vate the public’s attention to the subjectand create enough visibility for EMSthat it became a high-priority item.”

Being a pioneer means leading fromthe front. Chief James O. Page did justthat all his life. And, in so doing, he for-ever changed the face of emergencyhealth care in North Carolina andaround the globe.

William K. Atkinson, PhD, MPH, MPA,EMT-P, is president and CEO ofWakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh,N.C. Atkinson was mentored by Jim Pageand has devoted more than 30 years of his career to improving our nation’s emer-gency care system. The first-personaccounts in this tribute were drawn fromresearch he conducted for his dissertation.

JOP


I t was 1980, and I had just com-pleted EMT training in Bostonand then moved to New Jerseywith three small children in tow.

I began to volunteer as a CPR instruc-tor for the American Heart Association(AHA) and also attempted to volunteeron the local first aid squad, whichshunned me at first because I didn’thave a husband, brother or father in thefire department.

Then I received a complimentaryissue of JEMS, the Journal of EmergencyMedical Services—an event, it wouldturn out, that would change my life. Inoticed the JEMS office was located innearby Basking Ridge, and I called tosee if I could get a job interview. I waslooking for an opportunity to beinvolved in EMS and write, while stillbeing with my children as much as pos-sible. I sent in my résumé and writingsamples and soon received a note fromJim Page, who invited me to come to hisoffice the following week.

I was in awe of Jim from themoment I met him. He had so muchintelligence and expertise, and such acommanding presence. At the sametime, he connected instantly witheveryone he met—no matter theirstature—with his broad smile, twin-kling eyes and genuine interest.

Jim was publisher of JEMS and alsoexecutive director of the AdvancedCoronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation,a not-for-profit organization dedicatedto improving the emergency cardiaccare (ECC) capabilities of EMS agen-cies across the United States. I remem-ber Jim smiling in our first meeting andsaying something to this effect: “Wait,you’re a CPR instructor, you like towrite, and you’re willing to fight the sys-tem so that you can volunteer as anEMT? You’re in!” Jim, as I would cometo find out, had a tendency to challengethe system himself, always championingthe truth and what was correct, evenwhen it was politically incorrect andwould stir up controversy.

In short order, I joined the team,

which then consisted of Jim, JaneSeymour, Brad Smith and KeithGriffiths, who was operating the WestCoast office of JEMS out of hisCalifornia home. In an era when it wasunheard of, I was able to work part-timein the office and part-time at home,with Fisher Price people and Legosunderfoot and “C is for Cookie” playingin the background.

One of my first assignments for ACTwas to write a report on the firstConference on Citizen CPR held inHouston earlier that year. The confer-ence was hosted by the National HeartCenter at Baylor College of Medicine,and co-hosted by the ACT Foundation,the Junior League of Houston, and theNational Heart Lung and BloodInstitute at the National Institutes ofHealth. The keynote session was“Citizen CPR: The Past, the Presentand the Future,” and the keynote speak-ers were Jim Page, Leonard Cobb, MD,of the University of Washington, andKevin McIntyre, MD, of HarvardMedical School. Other luminariesspeaking at the conference includedArcher Gordon, MD, A. James Lewis,MD, Mickey Eisenberg, MD, PhD, C.P. Dail, Royce Britton, and MichaelDeBakey, MD.

Another of my early assignmentswas to serve as program manager for aTechnical Support Services for EMSprogram, sponsored by the U.S. FireAdministration and administered bythe ACT Foundation. The programmatched fire departments across theUnited States that were interested ininitiating or upgrading their basic andadvanced life support capabilities withexperts who served as mentors. Jimdeveloped and cultivated the program,which provided free technical assis-tance to thousands of fire departmentsover the next several years.

During these early days of EMS, Imarveled at Jim’s visionary leadership,his strong sense of ethics, his incredibletalent for persuasive writing and motiva-tional speaking, and his pure passion for

saving lives. Although I didn’t realize it atthe time, I was incredibly fortunate thatJames O. Page was my first boss and men-tor. He introduced me to many of thenation’s movers and shakers in EMS andprovided great opportunities for learningand growth. He taught me not only aboutEMS and ECC, but also about the impor-tance of staying focused on the goal—sav-ing lives—despite the obstacles.

In the early 1980s, Jim fosteredmany important contributions to ECC,including:

• Delivery of countless speechescalling for widespread citizenCPR training;

• Publication of CPR Citizen,beginning in 1978 as a quarterlynewsletter and then, in 1981, asa monthly column in JEMS;

• Development of a widely distrib-uted booklet, CPR and the Law;

• Launch of the Born of NecessityFire Service/EMS ManagementSeminar series, presented by theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency and organized and con-ducted by ACT;

• Publication of The CPR Bluebook:A Program Management Guide;

• Working with the Writers’ Guildof America and the televisionindustry to promote citizen CPRtraining through the mass mediaand to ensure the accuracy of itsdepiction;


By Mary Newman

A Class ACTJim Page’s push for improved cardiac care

Over the years, Jim racked up millions offrequent flyer miles while traveling to speak-ing engagements that would advance EMS.

• Development of nationally dis-tributed videos, including A Lifein Your Hands and Cavalcade ofCPR;

• Guiding research projects thatevaluated the status of CPRtraining in schools and busi-nesses nationwide;

• Sponsorship of the 1982Conference on Citizen CPR inKansas City, Mo., and the 1984Conference on Citizen CPR inOmaha, Neb.; and

• Launch of ACT’s own “firstmajor educational conference,”EMS Today, in 1982.

In December 1983, Jim announcedthe closing of the ACT Foundation withan editorial in JEMS. Unlike many not-for-profit organizations that “forget thenoble goals of their founders” and“become protective bureaucracies,” Jimand his board of directors had reviewedACT’s accomplishments, and deter-mined it had achieved its original goalsand it was time to move on. “It’s beenthe best job I will ever have,” Jim said.

His return to California with his newwife, Jane, marked a change in venue, butnot a change in passion for the cause. Jimcontinued to play an active role in theConference on Citizen CPR, which washeld on a biennial basis and continuestoday in the form of the Citizen CPRFoundation’s Emergency Cardiac CareUpdate. It was always his dream that itwould be a forum for CPR instructorsthat would emphasize the need for everycitizen on earth to learn these basic life-saving skills. His impassioned pleas res-onated during speeches he delivered atthese conferences over the years.

Jim continued to promote innovativeideas about emergency cardiac carethrough JEMS, including the earlypapers on EMT-defibrillation, “PhoneFirst!” and the Chain of Survival.

Jim also helped create the CitizenCPR Foundation’s newsletter, Currentsin Emergency Cardiac Care, whichbecame a joint publication of the foun-dation and the AHA and continues toenjoy a wide readership today.

I last saw Jim in January 2004 whenhe received the Ronald D. Stewart Awardat the annual meeting of the NationalAssociation of EMS Physicians. Wespoke a few times after that. Our lastcommunication was particularly note-worthy: Jim called to discuss a case inwhich a man had died suddenly duringhis daughter’s wedding reception, held in

a hotel without AEDs. The widow wasconsidering filing a lawsuit.

When Keith Griffiths called me withthe news of Jim’s sudden death, I wasincredulous. How could it be that one ofthe preeminent national leaders inemergency cardiac care, with no knownheart condition, one who vigorously pur-sued a healthy, active life, could die fromsudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while swim-ming in a health club that had no AEDon site? How could this happen to Jim?

When I heard his memorial servicewas to be on Sept. 16, I realized withregret that I would be unable to attend.Still, I knew in my heart that Jim wouldbe smiling from above to know the rea-son: I would be in Washington, D.C., ata meeting of the SCA Survivor Network,surrounded by dozens of people of allages from across the country—survivorswho would not be here today but for thepassion and dedication of championslike Jim. I could not help but notice thatone of the survivors present at thismeeting was another James, JamesMcCooey, 11, who also suffered SCAwhile swimming, but who survived, per-

haps because, in his case, an AED wasreadily available.

Maybe Jim’s legacy is not only whathe taught us through his life, but whathe taught us through his death. We’vemade major strides in the national cru-sade to improve ECC, but we need to doso much more. It is unacceptable in thisday and age that most SCA victims stilldie because early intervention measuresdo not occur or effective treatmentarrives too late.

It is my hope that we can continueJim’s work and reach the threshold ofpromise he envisioned, when survivalfrom SCA becomes the norm, not theexception. It is the least we can do inhis memory.

Mary Newman is executive director ofthe National Center for Early Defib-rillation (NCED) at the University ofPittsburgh, home of the SCA SurvivorNetwork. Newman worked at the ACTFoundation in the early 1980s and hasbeen a contributing editor to JEMS sincethen. For information about NCED, visitwww.early-defib.org.

JOP


“If it were possible to elect a small handful of people who could remain at their prime for-ever because of all they bring to the world just by being themselves, one of my votes wouldhave gone to Jim Page. Jim was a very big man who achieved much, not through ego andpersonal ambition but by having room in his enormous personality for everyone else who wasout there achieving. There is only one beginning for every movement, and only one opportu-nity for the right person at the right time to assume the role of ‘father,’ or now ‘grandfather,’of that movement. For EMS, it was Jim Page. By definition, there can never be another.”

—Ken Stults, Health Services Integration Inc., Santa Rosa, California

“Jim was not only a visionary, but an excellent speaker and communicator. The one thingthat always impressed me was Jim’s ability to effectively challenge the norm whether it wasyou as an individual, an organization or local, state or national direction. These challengesresulted in many lifesaving improvements and innovations in the field of emergency medicalservices and emergency cardiac care.”

—C.P. Dail, American Red Cross, Falls Church, Virginia

“I am proud to have received Jim’s help in founding the ACT Foundation of Canada in1983, when he passed the torch as executive director of the original American ACT. We wereyears behind the United States in the area of citizen CPR training and EMS at that time.Jim’s wisdom, vision, mentoring and endless enthusiasm and encouragement helped lay thefoundation for the achievements we are so proud of today.”

—Sandra Clarke, Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

“Jim had an incredible impact on the CPR crusade, in particular in the second half of the’70s, as training of the lay public caught on. The role of the ACT Foundation and Jim’s per-sonal contributions in lobbying the case for public CPR training can hardly be overestimated.”

—Tore Laerdal, Laerdal Companies Worldwide, Stavanger, Norway

“I first met Jim Page at the 1980 Conference on Citizen CPR. It was there that I realizedwhat a visionary he was. His founding of the ACT Foundation created a model that manycould emulate to perpetuate educational activities, particularly for CPR instructors and thosein the emergency medical professions. He was instrumental in advising those who foundedthe Citizen CPR Foundation as we know it today.”

—William Montgomery, MD, Citizen CPR Foundation, Lenexa, Kansas

Crusade for Improved Cardiac Care

I n the late 1970s, at least four pub-lications claimed to serve thenational EMS market: Emergency,EMS Magazine, The National

EMT Journal and a little quarterlycalled Paramedics International. Thelatter was published erratically by LosAngeles paramedic Ron Simmons, whohad enlisted Jim Page as a contributingeditor and gave him his first taste ofthe magazine business. It was acrowded field for the young EMS pub-lishing industry by any measure, but

Jim wasn’t deterred. Emergency was owned by the inven-

tor of the Hare traction splint, GlennHare, and published by DynaMedCorp. in Carlsbad, Calif. It began life asa newsletter, Emergency Product News,in 1972, largely to help DynaMed mar-ket its own growing stable of emergencycare products. I was hired as an assis-tant editor there in 1977, straight outof journalism school.

After a few weeks on the job, LindaOlander, the general manager, sug-

gested I call and interview Jim Page,executive director of the AdvancedCoronary Treatment (ACT) Foundationand an already growing legend, for anarticle I was writing. To this day, I recallthat first conversation with Jim. He hadthat signature resonant voice, so confi-dent, so articulate. He was willing totake a stand, unlike many others whowould waffle on answers, afraid theymight offend someone. What a greatinterview!

Jim contributed in a number ofways to Emergency, including writingan article in our December 1978 issue,which won Emergency its first awardfor best magazine in its category. Bythat time I was managing editor. Jimconfessed to me his frustrations withthe current EMS publications. Therewere real problems in EMS thatneeded to be confronted, he said. Jimadmired Simmons’ efforts to try totackle problems head-on, but felt thatParamedics International didn’t havethe circulation and reputation to makea real difference. He felt the other pub-lications were too timid, unwilling toinvestigate the topics that most neededto be addressed (and which may nothave made advertisers and some indus-try leaders happy).

Jim asked me if I thought GlennHare would be willing to sellEmergency to him. When I told himthat Hare would not sell, Jim boughtthe failing Paramedics Internationalfrom Simmons for $1. He planned toturn it into a new monthly publicationand asked me to be the managing edi-tor. How could I refuse?

I vividly remember the warm sum-mer afternoon in Cardiff, Calif., in1979 when we sat at my hand-me-down kitchen table, going over thebudget for our first issue. I showed him


By Keith Griffiths

A RealPage Turner

Jim’s vision & persistence result in launch of JEMS

detailed expenses that I’d already cut tothe bone.

“Can you do it for half that?” heasked. I didn’t know how we were goingto pull it off, but I knew I couldn’t resistthe challenge of being part of some-thing so important, and for a man socompelling. And so JEMS, the Journalof Emergency Medical Services, wasborn. (Jim purposely chose an acronymand the term journal to connote theserious nature of the endeavor. Hewould spend the next 20 years correct-ing people who referred to his creationas JEMS Magazine.)

Looking back, it was an unexplain-able act of faith that Jim would allowme, a 25-year-old kid, to shepherd hisdream to life. I’ll be forever grateful forhis confidence. We put out the finalissue of Paramedics International in thefall of 1979, with a cover depicting ahardened paramedic against a backdropof actual newspaper headlines callingout controversy and problems.Although not always bylined, and some-times under his pseudonym of SinclairGermaine, Jim wrote many of the arti-cles in that last issue of ParamedicsInternational and in the first issue ofJEMS (March 1980) to make sure weset just the right editorial tone.

At first, money was extremely tight.The country was in a recession in 1980,and interest rates hovered around 14%.Jim drew on his ACT Foundation fund-ing to cover expenses as best he could.For the first year, our editorial “offices”were the extra bedroom in my rentedcondominium and Jim’s ACT Foun-dation office in New Jersey. We lived

issue to issue, just happyto get the next editionout, hoping that successmight be just around thecorner. One good thingabout living on the finan-cial edge was that youdidn’t really have any-thing to lose. We couldafford to be bold andcontentious without fearthat advertisers wouldpull out … because wedidn’t have any!

As we gained sub-scribers year after yearand as advertisers sawthe value of associatingwith a magazine theircustomers respected, itbecame obvious that Jim

had read the audience correctly. Therewas a market for this combination ofinvestigative journalism and cajoling edi-torials. We attracted bright, energeticparamedics who believed in this vision,who knew our audience and who knewhow to write—people like Jim and KateDernocoeur, Thom Dick, Mike Taigmanand Keith Kneely, to name a few.

Through JEMS, Jim gave EMTs andparamedics a voice and, just as impor-tant, recognition. He had high expecta-tions of the people who cared for the illand injured, and his fundamentalrespect for them and their duty showedin his writing.

When you’re trying to influence peo-ple, writing matters. Jim was the mostgifted writer I’ve ever worked with. He

had the natural instincts to be a story-teller—to allow the information hewanted to deliver to emerge from a storythat had a beginning, a middle and anend, with conflict and resolution—andalways involving people. He included allthe elements that keep readers engagedand make abstract principles more rele-vant and accessible.

Jim shut down the ACT Foundationin 1983 and moved to California, wherewe could consolidate offices. He took alittle apartment in the coastal town ofSolana Beach near our office—quite adifference from the beautiful, spacioushome he was restoring in New Jerseywhen I first met him.

For 18 years, we worked side by sideon an assortment of challenges, from try-ing to change the culture of EMS to fig-uring out creative ways to pay the printerand get our next issue out. Jim made mea partner in the business after a fewyears, and, as with any partnership, therewere high points and low points.

We also had our share of disagree-ments. Years later, when I began a newbusiness, I found myself reflecting onand using lessons that Jim hadpatiently (and occasionally impatiently)impressed upon his young editor dur-ing those early years—lessons that Ihadn’t been able to absorb originally,but which had been percolating foryears, waiting for the right time tomake their debut.

In my last e-mail to him severalmonths before his death, I made apoint of saying so and thanking him. Iwas inspired to do so while at a confer-


Jim founded JEMS in 1980 to serve the information needs of the prehospital EMS community.He wrote much of the first issue (left) in March 1980 himself. He continued to write for JEMSuntil his death. His final column appeared in October 2004 (right).

Jim and Keith celebrating the fifth anniversary of RescueMagazine, that was later folded into FireRescue Magazine.

ence of cardiac arrest survivors. Noirony there …

Jim’s legacy of inspirationOne of Jim’s greatest gifts was his abilityto find good people with good values,point them in the right direction andthen say, “Go get it,” with hefty doses ofencouragement along the way. His peo-

ple embraced their work. He trusted hisemployees to go beyond his expectations,and he was repaid in spades. In the earlyyears, he was blessed to have suchemployees as Rick Minerd, GaryWilliams, Mary Newman, Dana Bies,Betty Till, Tami Valencia, Betty Scaliceand Vivian Griffiths, to name just a few.

As with anyone willing to take risks,Jim didn’t bat a thousand with all hisdecisions on people or projects, and hewould be the first to admit to, and laughat, his blunders. More importantly, hewas willing to take risks and encouragedrisk-taking in all who worked with him.

Bill Atkinson, PhD, president ofWakeMed, a North Carolina hospitalsystem and one of the speakers at Jim’smemorial service, told how Jim hadinspired him, beginning in high schoolwith the television show Emergency!(See p. 12.) Starting as an EMT, Bill rose

through the ranks with Jim’s direct andindirect inspiration at every step. As Billso eloquently noted, his story was butone of hundreds, if not thousands.

So many people at the memorial serv-ice—and many more who could notattend—could point to an interactionwith Jim that led to crucial decisions,new career paths, new opportunities and

a passion for what they did. Jim’s dedica-tion to improving patient care was sopotent that you couldn’t resist climbingaboard his bandwagon. It made yourwork—your life—more meaningful. Ifyou were “just an EMT” or even a lowlyassistant editor, Jim’s personal attentionfilled you with confidence, pride and apassion to prove him right.

One sign that you’ve built a greatorganization is that it can live on withoutyou. Even after selling Jems Com-munications in 1993 to Times MirrorCorp., Jim’s vision has flourished. Hislegacy lives on, largely because his per-sonal philosophy has been so ingrainedin the fabric of his creation—so muchso, in fact, that the JEMS tagline nowreads: “The Conscience of EMS.” (Incontrast, Glenn Hare sold Emergency in1998, and it folded a few years later.)

As Jim’s memorial service ended, the

sun broke out as if on cue to welcomethree medical and rescue helicopters ina fly-by, featuring the missing-man for-mation, and a procession of dozens ofEMS vehicles and fire apparatus. It wasa show of respect that he had trulyearned.

Not long before his death, Jim toldme he loved retirement, but missedactively helping to build an organiza-tion. By that, I think he meant recruit-ing people and mentoring them to findpersonal fulfillment in the service of aworthwhile cause.

Jim was a man of many talents,many accomplishments and many roles.I believe his career as a publisher wasparticularly important to him, and tothe EMS industry. He was able to reachthousands of people that he would haveotherwise been unable to connect with.

“Never argue with someone whobuys ink by the barrel,” he wrote in hisfirst editorial for JEMS. There werethose who disagreed with Jim, but Idon’t recall anyone who ever won theargument.

Keith Griffiths is the founding editor ofJEMS. He is currently president of TheRedFlash Group, a firm that providesstrategic marketing services for associa-tions, not-for-profits and commercialfirms in public safety. He is chairman ofthe board for the National Academies ofEmergency Dispatch and sits on the advi-sory boards for the National Center forEarly Defibrillation, the NationalInstitute for Urban Search and Rescueand the Western Publications Association.

JOP


Jim’s publishing empire included FireRescue magazine. FireRescue was launched in March 1997, after Jim merged Firefighter’s News andRescue Magazine. The result: a publication that served the needs of modern-day firefighters.

I didn’t know how we were going to pull itoff, but I knew I couldn’t resist the challengeof being part of something so important fora man so compelling.

M any of the tributes toJim Page in the daysand weeks following hisdeath seemed to sum-

marize his life with sequentially orderedterms: “James O. Page—fire chief,Emergency! technical advisor, attorney,state EMS director, author, publisher,father of modern-day EMS …” Theterm lawyer or attorney would almostalways find its way into the mix. But fora man with so many accomplishmentsand titles, referring to Jim Page as alawyer seemed almost anticlimactic.

Not only was Jim an attorney—nightschooled and admitted to the Californiabar while serving in the Los AngelesCounty Fire Department—he was anextraordinary one at that. Jim embodiedwhat it means to be an attorney. He hada passion for justice and a commitmentto public service; discharged his dutieswith fidelity, civility, competence andintegrity; and maintained a lifelongdesire to grow, learn and improve.

Although some may have looked atJim’s status as a lawyer as merelyanother credential, no doubt reinforcedby the fact that he was never a full-timepractitioner, Jim had a brilliant legalmind, and legal adversaries who under-estimated him did so at their own peril.

Practicing law was no casual hobbyor secondary venture for Jim. When hetook on a case, whether or not he wasbeing paid (and often he was not), hestudied and prepared vigorously. As any-one who attended one of Jim’s presenta-tions knows, he was an exceptionalorator whose presence dominated everyroom he entered. That presence carriedinto the courtroom, where Jim, througha combination of civility, competenceand his mere presence, effectively andardently presented his case while retain-ing the respect of judges, juries and

even his opposition.Over the years, and particularly so

after we became law partners with Jim,we came to appreciate not only hisextraordinary mind, but also the pas-sion of his heart. Jim always encour-aged us to evaluate the impact of asolution or strategy on the front-lineEMT, firefighter or paramedic.

Like many attorneys, Jim developedparticular interest and expertise in cer-tain areas of the law. He studied, wroteand passionately worked to ensure that“due process” was brought into all deci-sions affecting individuals—within EMSorganizations and fire departments, aswell as in the state systems that certifiedand regulated EMS personnel.

He was as knowledgeable as anyattorney in the United States on theapplication of labor and employmentlaws to the fire and EMS sectors andwas one of the leading experts on thecomplex California laws dealing withexclusive operating areas and marketrights for EMS agencies.

Through his writings, teaching andlegal practice, Jim became the nation’sfirst “EMS attorney,” and holds the dis-tinction of being the prototype for thisdiscipline. Those of us who becamelawyers with an eye toward servingEMS, public safety and the ambulanceindustry, did so only after Jim showedus that such a career choice was a wor-thy calling. Jim “blazed the trail” for therest of us and helped us along that trailif we faltered or stumbled.

Jim was a firm believer in givingsomething back to the EMS community.After years of struggle and incurringpersonal debt while building JemsCommunications, Jim, in his words,“realized every entrepreneur’s dream”when he sold Jems in 1993. But insteadof sitting on a beach sipping piña

coladas, Jim continued his personal tradition of helping EMTs, paramedicsand firefighters on a pro bono basis—meaning that he took their cases andtook up their causes without takingtheir money.

He volunteered his time, energy andexpertise to help those he believed werebeing unfairly treated by their employ-ers or EMS agencies. Jim was person-ally offended by the notion thatarbitrary or capricious administrativeaction could deprive a worthy providerof his or her livelihood. He fought toprotect the interests of the individualprovider, the party who was often at asignificant disadvantage in terms ofmoney, resources and power. Jimhelped level the playing field, and whenhe was involved, it most often tippedthe scales in the provider’s favor.

In the summer of 1999, we (Dougand Steve) were both working in theHarrisburg, Pa., offices of large, 400+


Tipping the Scales

As an attorney, Jim fought to protect the interestsof the individual provider & firefighter

Over the years, Jim conducted more than100 mock trials to educate prehospital personnel on the importance of qualitypatient care and complete documentation.

attorney law firms. We got together at anEMS conference (in fact, it was the firstEMS Insider Symposium, held at aresort in the Pocono Mountains ofPennsylvania). After a dinner filled withpleasant discussion about the need forattorneys dedicated to EMS, we solidi-fied our mutual desire to strike out ofthe bureaucracy of the large law firmand concentrate our legal practices onEMS law “on our own.”

Jim was at the conference, too, butthat weekend, we kept the idea to our-selves. A few days later, the two of us hadlunch and talked about calling Jim to pickhis brain about the idea of forming a newnational EMS law firm. We also thoughtabout asking Jim to join us as a partner inthe firm, but figured that he’d say he wastoo busy to seriously consider it.

The two of us sat in the home officeof the Wolfberg residence one day in latesummer 1999 and placed a call to Jim ona speakerphone. We told him of our ideaand asked whether there might be a mar-ket for such a firm. Jim relayed the his-tory of the still-nascent development ofEMS law as a discipline and traced thepast efforts of those who made a go of it.

Jim was pleased and enthusiastic thatwe were discussing such an undertaking.As the call progressed, we casuallyinquired as to Jim’s interest in joiningsuch a firm, if we were ever to form it.Our exact wording was a bit vague so asnot to feel embarrassed for bringing itup. It went something like, “Uh, Jim, towhat degree could you see yourselfbecoming aligned with such a venture?”

Much to our surprise, Jim said thathe’d love to be a part of it! Having startedseveral successful ventures, he was, atheart, an entrepreneur. He loved the cre-ativity and challenge of forming a newbusiness out of nothing but the rawmaterials of vision, energy and a few dol-lars of seed money. He told us that beingpart of a firm would give him the abilityto formalize his legal work more—andprovide a conduit through which hecould practice law in his “retirement”years. He didn’t ask for time to thinkabout it or to reflect on the decision—hesaid yes immediately. We talked abouthaving his name lead the firm banner,recognizing that we were asking him topledge the most valuable collateral hepossessed: his name and the impeccablereputation attached to it. He did so with-out hesitation.

Although Jim was semi-retired andnever practiced law full-time after we

launched the firm, he participated inmany of the firm’s decisions and wasinvolved in several cases. Jim also workedas an expert witness in EMS malpracticecases and other types of litigation. Heplayed a role in numerous seminars,workshops and mock trial programs weconducted or participated in across thecountry. He took his involvement withthe firm seriously and was always there toprovide guidance, business experienceand a lifetime of wisdom. Being able tocall Jim our law partner was the honor ofour professional lives.

A few days after Jim’s death, we werecommiserating with a mutual friend inCalifornia who knew him well. In the

course of the conversation, the friendnoted that Page, Wolfberg & Wirth wasthe only surviving entity that Jim ever puthis name on. This was a powerful state-ment, and we immediately recognizedthe weight of it. Professionally, Jim cre-ated many things that survive him: JemsCommunications, JEMS and FireRescueMagazine, the EMS Today conference,books and articles, and countless otherprograms. But this comment drove homethe fact that we were actually heirs tosomething special: the legacy of JimPage, the lawyer. Jim gave us his name,and it will remain on the door of this firmas a living testament to his legacy.

As heirs to Jim’s legacy as attorneys,

we have a special responsibility inupholding it. Jim would always tell ushow proud he was to have his name aspart of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth. Wewould respond that the pride was oursand that we would continue to representour clients in a way that would impresshim. Now, more so than ever, our desireto make Jim proud infuses our everyword and deed. We are committed toupholding the honor and memory of thisphenomenal man and his legacy as a pio-neering attorney in our field.

Jim Page was many things to manypeople. To us, he was a colleague, confi-dant, mentor and friend. He will con-tinue to serve as a role model for

generations of lawyers who practiceEMS law—a legal specialty that likelywould not exist had Jim Page not lived.We are pleased to help Jim’s legacy liveon through the work of the James O.Page Charitable Foundation.

Doug Wolfberg and Steve Wirth, alongwith the late Jim Page, are attorneys, for-mer EMS providers, and founding part-ners of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth LLC, anational EMS, ambulance and medicaltransportation industry law firm. Visit theJames O. Page Memorial on the firm’sWeb site, www.pwwemslaw.com, for moreinformation on the life and career of JimPage, the lawyer.

JOP


By Doug Wolfberg, JD, & Steve Wirth, JD

The Three Amigos: Steve Wirth, Jim Page and Doug Wolfberg.

Jim embodied what it means to be an attorney. He had a passion for justice& a commitment to public service.

It was Jim Page’s nature to immersehimself in his trade, hobbies andpersonal life. He accomplishedmany things in his life, but at his

core he was a firefighter. He had a pas-sion for fire service history and fire appa-ratus that was simply an extension of hispassion for the profession. Jim had awealth of knowledge about apparatus,pumps, engine configuration and more,and he put that knowledge to workthrough the preservation and restorationof antique fire apparatus.

Rescue 11Jim’s “baby” was Rescue 11, a 1947Ford panel wagon that was a twin to hisfirst assigned rescue vehicle. In mid-1959, Jim’s first assignment upon grad-uating from the training tower of theLos Angeles County Fire Department(LACoFD) was at Fire Station 11 in thecity of Alta Dena. On completion of hissix-month probationary period, he wasassigned to Rescue 11.

Jim loved his involvement in the res-cue program and always cherished hismemories of racing throughout the dis-trict in the well-equipped (for the timeperiod), one-seat, underpowered paneltruck.

Years later, after he had retired fromLACoFD and become successful in thepublishing business, Jim began a searchfor the old Rescue 11. Unable to locatethe original, Jim found and bought twoidentical models, each in a state of dete-rioration, and began his re-acquaintancewith an old friend.

The “new” Rescue 11 is equippedwith a modern chassis and a high-performance power plant, but the exte-rior and equipment area are accuraterepresentations of the original. Jim droveRescue 11 all over the country, visitingcountless fire stations along the way. Itwas his pride and joy.

Project 51 & the restoration of Squad 51In one major project, Jim spent two yearsworking with actors Randolph Mantoothand Kevin Tighe and several committeesto restore Squad 51 of TV’s Emergency!fame to its original beauty. He alsohelped organize a cross-country tour ofthe restored vehicle in conjunction withthe placement of key equipment andEmergency! artifacts in the SmithsonianInstitution in 2000.

Jim helped form Project 51, a not-for-profit organization, to share with the pub-lic the history of EMS in the UnitedStates and the vital role that the televisionseries Emergency! played in creating ademand for on-site medical treatment.Project 51 worked toward this objectiveby sponsoring a national tour. RandolphMantooth volunteered his time for thisproject and traveled across the country,making personal appearances to promoteEMS. The tour also featured the com-pletely restored Squad 51 and the originalmedical equipment and wardrobe used onEmergency! Money raised through thesale of merchandise and memorabilia wasdonated to benefit fire service charities.

The highlight of the Project 51 tourwas a stop at the National Mall inWashington, D.C., in May 2000 to offi-cially launch EMS Week. In recognitionof the impact of Emergency! on fire serv-ice history, the show’s original artifacts(donated by Universal Studios) wereinducted into the Smithsonian Museumof American History.

The old hose carrier & Jim’s last restoration project In 2000, Jim bought a 1956 Ford hosewagon from the Vernon (Calif.) FireDepartment and asked fire apparatusrestorer, Mike McDonald of ValleyCenter, Calif., to restore it for him.When the job was complete, Jim sur-

prised McDonald by giving the rig tohim—with the stipulation that Jim could“borrow” it whenever he wanted to givehis grandchildren rides on the majesticold truck, something he did his last twoChristmas seasons.

At the time of his death in September2004, Jim was in the process of restoringa 1924 R.E.O. fire engine with the assis-tance of his long-time friend, RandyClark. Clark had restored Rescue 11 forJim. The old R.E.O. once served theMontebello (Calif.) Fire Department,which appealed to Jim because of hisearly history with that department.

Jim’s wife, Jane, has donated theR.E.O. to the Los Angeles County FireMuseum, and the staff is in the processof completing its restoration in Jim’shonor. Currently only about 50% com-plete, the restoration won’t be finisheduntil 2006. Much work lies ahead, butevery effort is being made to completethe project and produce a restorationthat would have made Jim happy.

Paul Schneider is a third-generation fire-fighter with LACoFD. He serves as presi-dent of the LA Fire Museum board.

JOP


Jim with his “baby,” the restored Rescue 11.

The Man & His MachinesShowcasing Jim’s passion for the preservation &restoration of antique fire apparatus


By Paul Schneider

In late 1999, Jim attended a board meetingof the County of Los Angeles Fire MuseumAssociation at the request of museum boardmember Dave Boucher. Jim was impressedwith the museum’s collection and goals.

I was president of the board at the time.Jim became involved with the board andsoon became the vice president. His knowl-edge of the law was quickly put to use inreviewing and updating the museum’sbylaws. Jim became a member of the boardof directors in January 2002.

Jim brought a level of respect and prestigeto our museum that had not been witnessedbefore. His keen business sense and leadershipskills assisted greatly in pulling together pre-existing projects and creating new ones thathave resulted in a brighter financial position forthe organization. It was Jim’s desire to have thecollection tell the story of firefighting and EMS inthe United States, while highlighting the historyof the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The museum is now structured far moreefficiently due to Jim’s guidance and is poisedto make its first real effort toward realizing itsgoals. The museum association hopes toacquire a new facility conducive to public vis-itation and large enough to house its collec-tion of more than 40 pieces of apparatus andgrowing collection of fire and rescue artifacts.The association plans to obtain and displayhand-drawn/volunteer-era equipment, appa-ratus from the horse-drawn era, early motor-ized equipment, rigs from the Roaring ’20s,the Fabulous Firefighting ’50s, truck compa-nies and rescues.

The museum intends to make Jim’s con-tribution to EMS a central focus in the Rescuedisplay area. His history with LACoFD and theCarlsbad and Monterey Park fire departmentswill also be showcased. Engine 382, on whichJim served as an engineer with LACoFD, is inthe collection and will be an important pieceof Jim’s exhibits.

Jim’s Role with the L.A. County Fire Museum

Top right: Jim’s passion for cars got an earlystart. Above: Jim Page and Paul Schneiderpose with one of Jim’s favorite rigs, Engine382, a 1957 four-wheel drive Yankee/CalavarBrush Engine. Right: Jim takes a work inprogress out for a test drive.

Above: Jim could never resist the opportunity to take a rig out for a spin. Above right: Jim satisfies his need for speed in 2002 at the RichardPetty Driving School. Bottom right: Jim poses with his high school hot rod.


What WeRemember …Jim’s spirit lives on in his family, friends & colleagues

Every time I get on the fire engine to respond on a call, I think of him and smile.He had a love for the fire service/EMS community that was surpassed only by hislove for his family.

Captain Andy Page, Son, Poway Fire Department, Poway, California

You always told me the best day of your lifewas the day that I was born. My favoritememory was the day you told Andy and methat you considered us to be your very bestfriends. Beyond your life achievements,those words echoing in my heart will foreverbe the most cherished gift you ever gave me.

Tom Page, Son, Photographer, Carlsbad, California

The EMS community lost a great friend; we, how-ever, lost a great dad, grandfather, mentor and all-knowing presence in our lives. I know that he willbe watching down on the grandkids as they gothrough those milestones in their lives—especiallythat first car (he would have loved tinkering withthem) and the possibilities beyond. We miss himbeyond words.

Debbie Ries, Daughter, Attorney, Carlsbad, California

[Jim’s] death has hit me particularly hard,but, knowing Jim, he would say, “Bryan, it’syour turn to make EMS and the fire servicebetter.” He’s right.

Bryan E. Bledsoe, DO, FACEP,Midlothian, Texas

Jim was consumed with excellence ineverything thing he did: as a teacher and asa servant to public safety, to his communityand to his many friends.

Dick Judd, PhD, EMSI, New Britain, Connecticut

Jim takes the grandkids for a Christmas spin.

Jim with his Aunt Gladys

Jim at work, LACoFDBaby Jim, Circa 1937

Like many of you, I couldn’t believe the news: Jim was larger than life andwas always supposed to be there when you needed his help and wisdom.Those of us who were there from the early ’60s know what Jim’s influenceand guidance meant to the development of EMS as a chosen career … Denny Kurogi, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas

You are my hero. Love youand miss you so.

Susan von Beck,Daughter, Business

Owner, Duvall,Washington


As youngsters, my little brother and Ilived for the thrill of Emergency!Christmas was not complete unlesswe received a shiny new Emergency!helmet. That passion has transformedinto a lifelong love. I have been inEMS for more than 15 years and con-tinue to serve as an agency chief anda county coordinator. My brother hasbeen in the fire service for nearly 15years, and he serves as a fire chief.

Mark Spiezio, EMT-CC, CIC, EMSCoordinator, Fort Edward, New York

I was a young cocky kid on the set of Emergency! when I saw a tall, imposing manstanding in the middle of a chaotic location shoot. With the hustle and bustle of acrew laying down cables, hanging lights, building the sets and pushing the camerasinto position, Jim stood serenely in the midst of it all with an almost childlike gleein his eyes. He was living a dream.

Randolph Mantooth, Los Angeles, California

No great movement spontaneously springsup. All have great leaders and individualswho are instrumental in making the move-ment succeed. Jim was one of these. Hecan rightfully be called one of the found-ing fathers of EMS.

Mickey Eisenberg, MD, PhD, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

I was lucky enough to be seated next to [Jim] at dinner one night during the lastJEMS conference, and he made for a wonderful evening with stories. I don’t thinkhe ever forgot a name or a face.

Bill Doss, Paramedic/Firefighter, Miami Fire & EMS, Milford, Ohio

Jim always has and always will hold a special place in my heart and soul. Jim tookme under his wing when I was a young man and gave me something that I wouldnever be able to repay in a dozen lifetimes. Jim gave me opportunity, he took time toimpart wisdom and knowledge, and most of all he gave me a friendship that you justknew came direct from his heart. It was a privilege to be able to spend time with aman of such character, loyalty and integrity that I often felt uncomfortable hopingthat I did not disappoint him by my actions or my words.

Chase N. Sargent, Division ChiefVirginia Beach Fire & Rescue Dept., FireRescue Technical Editor

Jim had vision, courage, insight and asincere desire to see EMS matureand finally gain the respect it sojustly deserves. We need many morelike him.

Paul M. Paris, MD, FACEP, Center for Emergency Medicine,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jim Page was the very essence of allthat is EMS. No one was a strongerand more respected advocate forEMS, and at the same time no one amore demanding critic of that whichneeded correction. His legacy to all ofus who learned from him compels usto do the same.

Roger D. White, MD, Mayo Clinic,Rochester, Minnesota

Jim Page is the person I hope I’m afraction of someday.

P. DeFelice, NREMT-P, Pennsylvania

Jim with Rescue 11, 1959

A teenage Jim manages to look cool in avehicle without flashing lights.

Jim participates in a 10K race in Nashville.

Following his retirement, Jim volunteered his time with the California Highway Patrol.

Regardless of how he came into yourlife, he made it hard to call him any-thing but Jim, because above all else, hewas so easy to be your friend. ... Heknew us by name, regardless of ourrank or title or circumstances. He lis-tened to us patiently, allowing us to layit all out, guiding us to the solution wesought, even though he already knewthe answer to the problem. He steppedin when we needed a reminder of ourvalues. He made peace among us whenwe bickered. He laid the foundation,and then encouraged us to build uponit by challenging us to strive for optimalgoals, not minimum standards.

Steve Kidd, Lieutenant (ret.), OrangeCounty (Fla.) Fire & Rescue, FireRescue Technical Editor

M ourners gathered onThursday, Sept. 16, 2004,to grieve for the loss andcelebrate the life of James

O. Page, the “dean of modern emergencymedical response,” who passed awayunexpectedly on Sept. 4, 2004. Nearly1,000 friends, family and colleagues fromacross the country came together for aheartfelt memorial ceremony in Carlsbad(Calif.) Community Church. The servicehighlighted the many stories and achieve-ments of Jim’s 47-year career in emer-gency services.

Organ music and a classical guitarwith vocals complemented a program ofgenuine, eloquent speakers. The full fire-fighter service began with a presentationof the colors by honor guards fromCarlsbad, Los Angeles County, MontereyPark and Oceanside fire departments,and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.Bagpipers from Orange County FireAuthority and Vista Fire Departmentplayed while flower wreaths in the shapesof the Maltese Cross and the Star of Lifewere placed in front of the altar steps. Atthe podium, firefighters in full-dress uni-form placed chief ’s helmets from thedepartments where Jim served next to a

bust of his likeness, which was createdupon his retirement and placed in theJulian Stanley Wise Foundation To theRescue Museum in Roanoke, Va.

Remembrances for Jim were poignantand eclectic. Kevin Crawford, chief of theCarlsbad Fire Department, opened with aprayer and welcomed attendees with anoverview of Jim’s stunning accomplish-ments in emergency service. Crawfordpointed out that Jim was more than just ameasure of his deeds; his very characterdrew people to him. “He had a presenceabout him. You always knew he was in theroom,” Crawford explained, and empha-sized the personal connection Jim estab-lished with those around him.

In the spiritual eulogy, WilliamHood, chaplain of the L.A. County FireDepartment, echoed that Jim Page was“many things to many people,” and “at hisvery core was a fireman.” He included hisown personal anecdotes about theirshared love of restoring old fire engines.Hood also read a stirring letter from Jim’swife, Jane, that reflected on the couple’slife, their children and Jane’s gratitude fortheir time together.

Remembrances were shared by threeother speakers who had known Jim bothprofessionally and as a friend, but indiverse ways:

Doug Wolfberg, one of Jim’s partnersat the law firm of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth,spoke about the privilege of working withan idol who then became a partner.Despite his legendary status in the worldof EMS, “Jim never looked around theroom when you were talking to him to seeif anyone ‘more important’ was around,”said Wolfberg. Before the service, Wolfbergelaborated with a specific memory thatrelated to his early days writing for JEMS.“I remember when I wrote my first articleback in 1989, and Jim actually thankedme for making a contribution. Here I wasrealizing my dream of finally getting pub-lished, and Jim was thanking me. … Itwas his humility—he made you feel spe-cial and important. He let other peopleshine. … He made everybody feel that

way. It’s a rare attribute.”William Atkinson, president/CEO of

WakeMed Health Systems in Raleigh,N.C., and a close friend of Jim’s,addressed Jim’s family directly. Hethanked them for lending Jim to hisextended EMS and fire family, adding,“There’s an empty place in our field, inour world and in our hearts.” Havingknown Jim for 31 years, Atkinson mar-veled at the numerous achievements hehad observed and taken part in with Jimall over the United States. Among other


A Fitting Tribute Memorial service honors the ‘father of modern EMS’

Jim’s dedication to the fire service wasacknowledged with a presentation of the col-ors by five different fire departments.

Helmets representing the three fire depart-ments Jim served evoked tears from thoseattending the memorial service.

things, Atkinson witnessed Jim bringabout North Carolina’s first EMT course,help to implement CPR training for res-cuers, advance the use of critical airtransport, encourage disaster operationstraining (years before Sept. 11), pioneerthe implementation of 9-1-1 into theNorth Carolina phone system and “takethe funeral home out of ambulance serv-ice and [put ambulance service] into thefire department,” with a controversialstart in Baytown, Texas.

Atkinson listed some of the countlessmonikers for Jim, including father, grand-father, firefighter, rescuer, author and sto-ryteller, but added, “Most of all, he was aweaver. He connected the dots betterthan anyone I’ve ever known.” As withmost of the speakers, he closed with awarm goodbye to his friend that hinted atthe deep emotion beneath his sentiments,a message that seemed to resonate withthe listeners.

Also remembering his friend fondlywas Alan Brunacini, chief of the PhoenixFire Department, who had known Jim fordecades and was a contemporary of his asthey came up the ranks in their respective

departments. Brunacini humbly intro-duced himself as a Phoenix firefighterand provided the audience with a light-hearted memory of how he used to“amuse” Jim, and how he, like so manyothers, was awed at the poise and grace ofhis colleague, whom he referred to as an“elegant man without affectation.”

Prior to the memorial service, Brunacinihad other glowing comments about Jim.He explained, “There are two parts to beinga visionary: seeing what should be done inthe future and then actually doing it.Visionaries are a dime-a-dozen, but therearen’t many like Jim. His vision has pro-duced 80% of the activity that the fireservice could engage in. In 30 years, hechanged our service; it was probably thebest change in productivity in the publicsector, ever. … He was smart enough andenough of a statesman to represent uswhere we needed it. … And everybody feltso close to him.”

Jim’s four children, Tom Page, Susanvon Beck, Andy Page and Debbie Riesalso shared memories of their father withthose in attendance. Tom led the eulogieswith readings from letters written by hischildren, his grandmother and his cousin,all noting the special ways each hadremembered Jim. Tom underlined thegoal of lifting the audience’s spiritsbecause this was a celebration of Jim’slife, and he revealed humorous anecdotesabout his father, both from personal expe-rience and the recollections of others. Forexample, Jim’s 97-year-old mother, Marion,passed on a story about her son’s bout withrheumatic fever as an active 12-year-oldwith a paper route, and how Jim was toldhe would have to stay in bed for at least amonth. He kept himself busy reading theentire set of Encyclopedia Britannicacover-to-cover, and yet his mother musedover why her son still didn’t get straight Asin school.

Tom and his siblings left the audiencewith a call to carry on their father’s work.“Integrate my father’s core values intoyour life,” said Tom. “Work hard. Whenthe work gets difficult, double yourefforts. Don’t be afraid of following yourdreams; fear only the possibility of failingto make a difference.”

Andy Page, a Poway (Calif.) FireDepartment captain, added, “Fight thegood fight and encourage others to do thesame.” After his family spoke, Andy notedthat some members of the audiencemight not have had the past opportunityto hear Jim speak and observe the strongapplause his speeches received. He asked

that a final round of applause be given toJim, a request the audience immediatelygranted with a long, thunderous, stand-ing ovation.

The ceremony ended with a proces-sion of 60 fire apparatuses and ambu-lances from different areas of L.A. andSan Diego counties, and as far away asLas Vegas; the vehicles escorted thefamily to a private service at a nearbycemetery. Jim’s beloved Rescue 11 andthe famous Squad 51 traveled side-by-side at the front of the procession in afitting tribute to Jim. An impressive fly-over by helicopters from the L.A.County Fire Department, San DiegoFire-Rescue Department and Mercy Airbrought tears to the eyes of onlookers asthe helicopters flew over the long line ofemergency vehicles.

Kristi Savino is the JEMS associate editor.She has an MA in Literature and Publishingfrom the National University of Ireland,Galway, and a BA in Creative Writing fromPepperdine University.

JOP


By Kristi Savino/Photos By Bryan Sakamoto

The memorial service ended with a fly-overby three helicopters from the L.A. CountyFire Department, San Diego Fire-RescueDepartment and Mercy Air.

Jim’s four children, Tom Page, Susan vonBeck, Debbie Ries and Andy Page shareduplifting family memories of their father withthe audience.

Chief Alan Brunacini, whom Jim viewed as abrother, spoke about Jim’s role as a visionary.

Unfilled boots and bunker gear symbolize theloss experienced by the fire service afterJim’s untimely passing.

James O. Page Employment HistoryJames O. Page has a work history that spans more than five decades and includesthe fields of fire, EMS, law, publishing and public speaking:• January 2000 to September 2004—Partner, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth• September 1979 to December 2001—Founder/Publisher, Jems Communications• April 1986 to January 1989—Fire Chief, City of Monterey Park, Calif. • August 1984 to April 1986—Battalion Fire Chief, City of Carlsbad, Calif.• August 1981 to September 1984—Manager, Technical Support Services

Program, U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)• October 1976 to December 1983—Executive Director, ACT (Advanced

Coronary Treatment) Foundation, Basking Ridge, N.J.• July 1975 to October 1976—Exec. Director, Lakes Area EMS, Buffalo, N.Y.• December 1973 to February 1975—Chief, North Carolina Office of EMS• November 1959 to November 1973—Firefighter, Firefighter-Specialist,

Fire Captain and Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles, Calif.

• August 1957 to November 1959—Firefighter, City of Monterey Park, Calif.

Major Awards & HonorsAs an EMS visionary, Jim was honored with several prestigious awards: 2004—The American College of Emergency Physicians’ Award for Outstanding

Contribution in EMS (first time ever awarded to a non-physician)2000—First recipient of the James O. Page/JEMS Award, Jems Communications2000—Designated as a “Fire Service Legacy” (one of the 20 people who were most

influential in the American fire service in the 20th Century), Fire Chief Magazine

2000—Mayoral Commendation and Key to the City, Lincoln, Neb. 1999—Certificate of Commendation, County of Los Angeles Fire Department1995—James O. Page EMS Achievement Award, International Association of

Fire Chiefs1993—Rocco Morando Award for Lifetime Achievement, NAEMT1990—Decade of Progress Award, American Ambulance Association1989—Platinum Videotape Award for Home First-Aid Video Library1988—Lifetime Emeritus Membership, National Academy of Emergency

Medical Dispatch 1980—J.D. Farrington, MD, Award for

Excellence, NAEMT1974—Governor’s Award for Bravery and

Heroism, State of North Carolina

BibliographyJim was a prolific writer, authoring more than400 magazine and journal articles related tofire protection and EMS, including theBurning Issues column in FireRescue Magazinefrom March 1997 to December 2004 and thefollowing essays, books, films, etc.:• Simple Advice• Chapter 1, 3rd edition, Managing

Fire Services• Making a Difference: Thirty Years of

Modern EMS• Foreword, Principles of Emergency

Medical Dispatch• The Emergency! Companion• Discipline with Due Process• The Home First-Aid Video Library• The Magic of 3 AM• The Paramedics• Emergency Medical Services for

Fire Departments• Effective Company Command

James O. Page Charitable Foundation CreatedPage, Wolfberg & Wirth has taken the lead in establishing the James O.Page Charitable Foundation to carry on Jim’s legacy through theimprovement of EMS and public safety in the United States, withemphasis on such areas as EMS and the law, education and EMS leader-ship. Jems/Elsevier supports this noble endeavor. For more information,visit www.jamesopage.org.

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