Now retired, Deputy Fire Chief and former Paramedic Chief Alan Cowen served the City of Los Angeles with distinction for nearly 32 years. As Commander of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services from 1987 to 1995, Cowen played a pivotal role during a transformative period in emergency response history. His career charts the evolution of modern emergency medical services (EMS), from the inception of the paramedic program in the late 1960s through its institutional changes in the 1990s.

Cowen’s journey mirrors the development of contemporary EMS in Los Angeles—a city recognized as a global pioneer in pre-hospital emergency care. His front-line experience spans decades of innovation, policy shifts, and cultural change in fire and EMS operations.

From an era when fire stations were community hubs to today’s high-risk environments requiring body armor on calls, Cowen has lived the full arc of emergency response evolution. He has responded to and led teams through hundreds of high-stakes incidents, offering a deeply human perspective on public service, trauma, and resilience.

In his deeply personal memoir, Cowen offers unfiltered, behind-the-scenes insights into life as a first responder. He recalls harrowing experiences, such as standing alone at a midnight murder scene before police arrived, and comforting a grieving elderly man who had just lost his wife. These stories reveal the raw emotional complexity behind the sirens and flashing lights.

Cowen’s vivid storytelling is grounded in real-life detail—from the smell of burning corn at the site of a plane crash, to the surreal silence after the Northridge earthquake. He writes with authenticity about the physical and emotional toll of working in emergency services, including memories that linger long after the call is over.

His accounts provide not just a personal history, but a living narrative of Los Angeles EMS. From his first exposure to a mass casualty incident at age 10 on the Culver City railroad tracks, to his promotion as Deputy Fire Chief in 1995, Cowen’s experiences reflect both a personal and institutional journey.

As a senior leader with intimate knowledge of EMS operations and policy, Cowen is uniquely positioned to share how emergency medicine in Los Angeles was shaped—both by visionaries and by necessity. His story is a critical contribution to the documented history of paramedicine and fire service leadership in one of America’s largest cities.