City of Fernandina Beach honors Dr. Farid Ullah for a lifetime of service

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
August 19, 2020

Not every small city in America is able to attract a doctor; fewer still can convince specialists to move into their communities.  But the City of Fernandina Beach was fortunate enough to attract Dr. Farid Ullah, a noted cardiologist, to practice in the Amelia Island communiity in 1971.  The City honored him with a Proclamation  expressing its gratitude during the August 18, 2020 Regular Meeting of the Fernandina Beach City Commission.  In presenting the Proclamation, Mayor John Miller expressed the City’s “sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Farid Ullah for his lifetime of unlimited contributions and devoted care to the betterment of all the lives he touched, taught, and saved.”  Miller added, “I hereby encourage all citizens to gratefully recognize and humbly acknowledge the immense significance and incalculable improvements Dr. Ullah made in the medical profession throughout the course of his long and distinguished career.”

Accompanying Dr. Ullah to receive the Proclamation was his wife Susan.  He was also joined by City of Fernandina Beach Deputy Fire Department Chief Fino Murallo and Nassau County Commissioner Danny Leeper, formerly Fernandina Beach Fire Chief.

Dr. Farid Ullah graduated in 1960 from the prestigious Khyber Medical University Pakistan where he was employed as Professor of Pharmacology.

He went on to serve in the United States Army from 1969-1971.  During that time, he was the Army’s only Cardiologist and successfully established the first Intensive Care Units and Cardiac Departments in Fort Hunter, California; Fort Stewart, Georgia; and Chatham Memorial Hospital, Georgia.

In 1971, Dr. Ullah moved to Fernandina Beach and began shaping Fernandina Beach’s medical profession. Dr. Ullah was instrumental in forming the Fernandina Beach Fire Department Emergency Medical Services (Rescue) Division in 1972. He trained the very first Fernandina Beach, Nassau County, and Duval County fireman to become licensed paramedics.

For many years, Dr. Ullah volunteered his time, free of charge, to perform annual physicals for area high school students, area fire rescue personnel, City police officers and Nassau County sheriff’s deputies. Additionally, Dr. Ullah volunteered innumerable hours to many benevolent community organizations.

As a born educator, Dr. Ullah has taught Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Pediatric Life Support to thousands of health care professionals all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Johannesburg.  He also aided in forming Emergency Medical Services in South Africa, France, Pakistan, and parts of the Middle East.

Dr. Ullah is America Board of Internal Medicine certified in Adult Cardiac Disorders, Cardiology, Cardiac Care, Echo Cardiology, Electrocardiography, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatric Cardiac Congenital Disorders. Accordingly, he has long held many prominent roles within the medical field and is renowned, respected, and legendary for his vast experience and expertise in creating pioneering medical programs which have unequivocally saved the lives of countless patients across the globe.

He is frequently invited to speak at medical schools world-wide and is the longest living practicing Medical Director of any EMS fire department in the entire United States. 

Although he retired from practice last summer, Dr. Ullah still serves as the Nassau County Fire Department EMS Medical Director.

Following the presentation of the Proclamation, City Commissioners and audience members rose in providing Dr. Ullah a standing ovation, attesting to his long service to the City.