Business Life magazine publisher John Krikorian, 79, father of Glendale Unified school board member Greg Krikorian, was in stable condition Wednesday, October 12, after collapsing onstage at the annual Glendale Fire Department awards ceremony.

Midway through his acceptance speech for the “Service Above Self” award, John Krikorian lost consciousness and collapsed as Glendale firefighter-paramedics rushed in to catch him onstage at the Glendale Hilton.

They performed emergency CPR as they rushed him to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was admitted to the cardiac catheterization lab, which specializes in treating heart conditions. Within hours he had regained consciousness, and his vital signs had stabilized, Glendale Battalion Chief Greg Godfrey said.

Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins cut the awards ceremony short, closing with a prayer for John Krikorian’s recovery.

John Krikorian, a Korean War veteran who moved to California from Connecticut, had just accepted his award amid cheers from the audience, which included his son, Greg Krikorian, Glendale News-Press reported.