As I prepare to leave for Las Vegas where I will join many fire professionals from across the country at Fire-Rescue Med, I must reflect on the fact this conference will end the two years which Jack Krakeel has served as Chairman of the EMS Section.

Jack currently serves as the Fire Chief for the Fayette County (Georgia) Department of Fire & Emergency Services. Beginning his career in 1975, Jack has put together an extensive resume serving on a myriad of local, state, national, and international committees.

As Jack moves to Immediate Past Chairman of the EMS Section, it is fitting to reflect on his accomplishments as Chair and historically look at what has happened in the Section since he became a member.

Jack became a part of the EMS component of the IAFC in 1989 when the Section was nothing but an EMS Committee. Through his efforts, as well as others, the EMS Committee was formalized into a Section within the IAFC. As we sit on the eve of Fire- Rescue Med, the membership in the Section sits at 936 and undoubtedly will surpass 1,000 during the conference as new members are signed up. When Jack became Chairman two years ago, the membership was perched at slightly under 400 members and he set a goal of reaching a membership of 1,000.

The EMS Section has progressed rapidly under the helm of Jack. During the last two years, the EMS Section has established a solid funding mechanism for Section activities through the Fire-Rescue Med Conference. Since the EMS Section receives no financing from the IAFC, the funding mechanism is crucial for the continued success if the Section wishes to continue to impact national issues affecting fire service EMS for our membership. The EMS Section at this point has achieved such success through our visibility and presence with other national EMS organizations that our participation and expertise is continually requested.

Also during Jack's tenure as Chairman, the EMS Section has gained a position on the Board of Directors of the IAFC; established a full-time EMS position within the IAFC; created a partnership with the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute - EMS Staff and Command course; and has significantly improved the visibility of the Section within the IAFC and the importance of EMS to the general membership.

During his time in the Section, Jack has served as our representative on the IAFC Board of Directors and was a member of the Executive Committee with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration's "EMS Agenda for the Future" project, as well as on the Executive Committee for the "EMS Agenda for the Future - Implementation Project."

Jack currently serves as our Principal Negotiator with the Health Care Financing Administration's Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; was a member of the NFPA's 1200 Technical Committee; was a member representing EMS interest on the National Fire Service Accreditation Program Executive Committee; was a member with the Board of Directors with the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services; and was the Technical Advisor for the Project Hope EMS Cost Allocation project.

Although Jack modestly says it is difficult for him to try and take any credit for the EMS Section accomplishments, he firmly believes that our success has been a collective one with individual contributions. However, he fails to realize that followers do not usually go any further than their leaders.

From my own personal perspective, Jack has always given me the support needed to write this column. Over the past four years, I have written some controversial columns which were needed to put the issues on the table if the fire service wanted to progress in the area of emergency medical services. Along with those controversial columns, came criticism from those affected by the column. None-the-less, I always had the support of Jack at those pivotal times. Knowing the support is there has certainly made my job easier.

On behalf of the EMS Section Executive Committee and the membership of the EMS Section, thank you Jack for all your efforts and contributions to the Section and the progression of EMS in the fire service.