CANDIDATE Q&A
Get to know the candidates running in the election
Incumbent
Harris County Emergency Services District No. 11, commissioner
JOEL OCASIO
Occupation: owner of Command Communications Relevant experience: KEVIN BROST
Occupation: surgical sales Relevant experience: involved in health care since 2003; lived in ESD 11’s district for 37 years 832-422-6372 www.esd11election.com www.facebook.com/voteesd11 CHRISTOPHER DAVID [I will] help facilitate the continued growth of ESD 11 with quality ser- vice while maintaining one of the lowest ESD tax rates in the area. [I will continue] a forward path ... to increase the number of ambu- lances on the road, [improve] response times and [maintain] high levels of prehospital care.
DOROTHY DALTON
ZACH DUNLAP
Occupation: paramedic Relevant
Occupation: executive assistant Relevant experience: worked in health
Occupation: paramedic and CEO of Ocasio Investments Relevant experience:
experience: 10 years of experience as a paramedic and ight paramedic www.stopthespendesd11.com
care with cancer doctors—on the corporate side—for the last 13 years www.stopthespendesd11.com
emergency medical certied for 33 years; 36 years as chief o cer of a re/EMS agency; 15 years as ESD 11 commissioner www.esd11election.com www.facebook.com/voteesd11
current health care provider for the ESD 11 community with a background in mortgage and nance https://ocasioforesd11. nationbuilder.com
What would be your top priorities if elected?
I want to help mold the future of ESD 11 and repair the current problems within ESD 11’s commu- nication and dispatch system. We currently use Sonim cellular devic- es that re departments and EMS eld sta have reported that they cannot communicate e ciently.
Continue growing the amazing new ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare service that we ... put in place just over a year ago. Continue to be overly transparent with the spend- ing of taxpayer money. ... Continue to make sure ESD 11 is providing the best medics, ... equipment, etc. for [the community].
Make the public aware of how the ESD 11 board operates, and make sure this board becomes ac- countable to the taxpayers. They currently give themselves an open checkbook of taxpayer dollars. Stop the spending of millions of taxpayer dollars without putting it to vote by the taxpayers.
Provide transparency regarding the millions of dollars spent irresponsibly to create a new EMS system that has not gained the community anything at all. I will ask intelligent questions of the current EMS administration regarding their daily operations and clinical care provided. ESD 11 residents have lost access to quality clinical care they previously had. They no longer will receive blood administration if they are critically injured; they do not have access to [the] Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, ... and our citizens are in millions of dollars of debt. Accountability for the public is paramount. The EMS services are now suboptimal compared to what was oered in the past. It is unacceptable that this continues to go unchecked, partly due to there being no EMS experience on this board.
What are the biggest challenges now facing ESD 11, and how do you plan to address them?
I will shed light to the residents on the current systems being utilized by the rst responders, as there was no input from the communi- ty. There is a serious disconnect between the current commission- ers and the residents of the ESD 11 community. I hope to bridge this gap as an ESD 11 commissioner.
[I will] not [let] the board be taken over by ... cronies of the former, now bankrupt, Cypress Creek EMS. There were many people ... receiving very questionable con- tracts worth millions ... that would like to see things go back to the way things were. I will not allow that to happen when re-elected.
Change. Many people don’t realize the change that has taken place over the last year with the local EMS provider. Misinformation, rumors and politics have been distracting fromwhat is being accomplished. I plan to listen, ed- ucate and make the best decisions for the community.
Calling 911 and ESD 11 responding is like playing Russian roulette. We don’t know if we are going to get proper emergency care.
If elected, what will you do to ensure district residents receive optimal emergency services?
I’ll halt the current $50 million development and utilize that to increase from 10 ambulances to 30 ambulances running 24 hours. We’ll partner with the re depart- ments to decrease response times, bring back blood products and partner with Life Flight [for our] paramedic training.
I will continue to require that the ESD 11 command sta provide the commissioners all relevant performance matrices for our evaluation and continue to adjust the oversight to ensure optimal performance and monetary spending in the district.
Continue moving forward. A lot has been accomplished by a very dedicated board in a short amount of time. The community has already seen improvements in the number of ambulances on the road, response times and e cient operations. Working with the current board ... is critical.
I plan to make sure their 911 opera- tors and EMTs are properly trained and routinely evaluated. [I will] push to use whole blood and Life Flight services.
Answers may have been edited for length, style and clarity. Read full Q&As at communityimpact.com .
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