This year’s recipient is Chief David Bryson, a previous Fire Chief for the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department
McLean, VA - Each year, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) EMS Section and their partners at
ZOLL Medical Corporation present the James O. Page Award to an exceptional leader in fire-service-based EMS who has played a key role in non-clinical innovation and achievements on a national scale.
This year’s recipient is Chief David Bryson, a previous Fire Chief for the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department and 30-year veteran of the fire service. He worked for the NHTSA Office of EMS, where he led national efforts to advance EMS nationally, including the National EMS Scope of Practice Model, and served as the Office of EMS’s subject-matter expert for the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS. Above all, during his time at NHTSA, he was the liaison between NHTSA and the fire service. Today, Chief Bryson is the Director of Education for the National Volunteer Fire Council, where he continues to advance EMS training for fire-based volunteer systems.
“David Bryson’s selection as the 2026 James O. Page Award recipient reflects a career defined by national impact, from shaping EMS education standards to advancing responder safety and innovation nationwide,” said Chief Kevin Joles, Chair of the IAFC EMS Section. “His leadership has influenced tens of millions of people through federal EMS initiatives, strengthened workforce development, and advanced the science of how we deliver care. This recognition honors not just a lifetime of service, but a legacy that continues to move the entire EMS profession forward.”
The annual James O. Page Award has been a tradition since 1995, when its namesake was made the first recipient in what would become a long line of noteworthy fire and EMS leaders. ZOLL will join the IAFC in officially recognizing Chief Price as the 30th recipient of this prestigious award through a dedicated ceremony at the
2026 Fire-Rescue Med (FRM) conference in Glendale, Arizona on May 19-21. Fire-Rescue Med is the premier fire-based EMS conference hosted by the IAFC’s EMS section.
Registration for the conference is still open.
About ZOLL
ZOLL, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, therapeutic temperature management, and sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions.
About the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials incidents, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.