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Oxford resident Mark Baker addressed the City Council to praise the work of the Oxford EMS and the vital role they played in saving his life.

Baker said he was experiencing chest pains the morning of April 19, causing his wife to call 911.

Five minutes later, paramedic Eric Jarvis informed Baker it was his diagnosis he was having a “cardiac event.” Jarvis was able to convince Baker to get into the ambulance after what Baker admits was “a hesitant argument” with the paramedic.

“About two blocks from my home, I experienced a total cardiac arrest, and our paramedics at Oxford EMS were able to revive me and get me to the RMC hospital alive,” Baker said.

He said only two hours after the initial 911 call, he was in stable condition, having had two stints put into place, and is now doing well with cardio rehabilitation and exercise.

While Baker credited the care he received in the hospital, he added that “it is a fact I would not have survived to make it to the hospital if it were not for those paramedics at Oxford EMS.”

Baker said Jarvis has maintained contact with him since the call, “which I find very touching.”

“The paramedics at Oxford EMS truly care about the citizens of Oxford when they are called upon to give emergency care and beyond that time,” Baker said. “They are the best of the best, and they are up to the task. They saved my life. They are rock stars, and I owe them everything.”