YOUR CARE. OUR PRIORITY.

Spring, TX September 4, 2025: We are officially in the peak of hurricane season and living as close as we do to the Gulf means many of us have generators waiting for that first power outage to be fired up.  But how many of us can say we understand and can protect ourselves from the dangerous Carbon Monoxide gas they produce?

This month Harris County ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare Medical Director Dr. Jay Kovar has been inundated with questions from community members about how they can protect themselves not only from generator and vehicle-producing Carbon Monoxide gas, but also other life-threatening fumes that can occur in the home.

In addition to great information about proper generator usage, Dr. Kovar enlisted the help of Cypress Creek Fire Chief Lance Wilson to talk about the kinds of calls Cypress Creek receives about dangerous fumes during house fires and how best to protect ourselves ahead of time.

“When it comes to a house fire one of the most important things is time when it comes to getting out of the house,” says Chief Wilson.  “People need to understand the crucial need for smoke detectors because that is what is going to give you those precious minutes to get out of the house quickly.  Once you are out of your house, stay out.  Injuries and death often occur more from smoke inhalation than from burns. Construction materials are made up of dangerous chemicals that once they are burning release formaldehyde, Hydrogen Sulfide and other toxic gases that can easily overtake a person’s respiratory system, leaving them unable to save themselves.”

Dr. Kovar also addresses the dangerous gases that can occur when mixing different cleaning products. This extra-special Hey Dr. K is packed with crucial information everyone needs to hear to protect themselves and their families at home.

To watch the full video click here and subscribe to our You Tube channel:   

Dr. Kovar is here to answer your questions as well, just call 281-524-7660 for more information. As always, if you are experiencing an emergency, remember to call 911.  

About ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare    

ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare covers a 177 square mile area of northern Harris County with over 700,000 residents, the largest ambulance-only Emergency Service District in the state of Texas.  ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare receives over 65,000 calls a year and consistently ranks among the best EMS services in the country for speed of response, patient satisfaction and quality of care. The Harris County Emergency Services District 11 Communication Center, known as Control, is recognized as an ACE Accredited Center of Excellence by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. This prestigious designation highlights our commitment to excellence in emergency dispatch services. As an ACE-accredited agency, we enjoy increased visibility in community service, enhanced support in litigation and liability management, and improved recruitment and retention, affirming the value and impact of our team’s work.   

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Contact: Miranda Sevcik, Public Information Officer 346-226-8808