David Carlson: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Carol StreamWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carol Stream fire protectionAge: 43Family: Married with two girlsOccupation: Retired Navy Reserve, Retired Firefighter/Paramedic. Fire Inspector for a Fire Protection District.Education: Associates in Fire Science, CODCivic involvement: Wheaton VFW, Marine Corps league, Toys For Tots, AWANA Commander.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoneCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To make wise choices with the funds that have been provided to the district from the residents and businesses.Key Issue 2 That our residents and business owners are provided the best trained and equipped Firefighter/Paramedics to provide the needed fire and emergency services.Key Issue 3 That the District continues to look to other means of income other than taxes to maintain the services, Firefighter training and equipment; though grants and fees.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?For the 20 years that I have been in the fire service, I have been involved in many aspects. I started as a paid on call Firefighter, became a paramedic, worked as a contact Firefighter/ Paramedic, and over 12 years as a full time professional Firefighter/Paramedic. I#146;m no longer a Firefighter due to hearing loss; I now work as a Fire inspector insuring fire safety, enforcement and public education. Some of my other duties include fire investigation and preparing a budget. I feel with this type of back ground I would fit this position as a trustee well.Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?I want to be a good steward with the tax payer funds that provide for the best benefits and safety of the residents and the Firefighters that work for the District.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest fire safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.That when you call 911 for a emergency; professional, well trained and equipped personnel respond in timely manner, and they would treat you as they would treat a member of their own family. To do this we must provide the needed funding to give our firefighters updated training and a safe environment to do it. This could be done with shared training with other organizations. We also need to take care of the districts employees so that we can maintain the skilled personnel we have.In these tight economic times, budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I#146;ve have been a regular attender of the monthly board meetings for over a year, and this board and Staff has been doing a great job maintaining this year#146;s budget after the short fall of last year. I would continue to monitor spending and work to stay within the set budget plan. I want to keep our Firefights on the cutting edge of training and continued education by providing the necessary funds or resources to achieve this goal.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiencyYes, I highly support the District's goal to work with other local departments to share resources, which includes training, manpower and equipment. Beside the benefit of saving money it will also reduce response times and bring more assistance to an emergency faster.