East Manatee Fire Rescue — Seat 2: James Carlino

Age: 53

Occupation: Police chief and college professor

About:  Carlino is the police chief at the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority and an adjunct college professor at the State College of Florida, where he teaches in the Public Safety Program.  He is a proud U.S. Air Force Veteran.  He was a USAF Firefighter.  Prior to coming to Manatee County, he was a police commander with the Atlanta Police Department, from which he retired.  He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice administration with a concentration in critical incident management. Carlino is finishing his doctorate in Homeland Security Leadership and Policy.  He is a graduate of The FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.  He and his family live in Lakewood Ranch and attend Cornerstone Church. 

Why are you running for office?

I am running for office because it is time for a change.  My opponent has been on in office for more than a decade and not much has changed.  The Fire District needs a fresh face with a “current” background in Public Safety and Homeland Security.  I have dedicated my life to these areas and I will make the District even better.  With the growing terror threats, the Fire Department will face critical challenges and I am the right choice to ensure that the department is ready.  I will be one of five commissioners who will bring change, lower your taxes, and save lives.

What experiences do you have that make you believe you are the right candidate for the job?

I am the only candidate with current real world public safety and homeland security experience.  I bring much needed diversity to the District. My education, current command level experience and dedication to my community make me the right choice.  I am also the only candidate addressing current real world issues that will impact the fire department, like active shooters and using our areas massive growth to manage your money better to lower your taxes, not raise them. We need change.

What do you see as the biggest challenge the district faces and how do you plan address it?

As a public safety leader working daily with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, I see the terror threats that all of us in public safety will have to deal with. Our job is to save lives and currently we have no team to save lives in an active-shooter situation.  I will bring S.A.V.E. Teams to Manatee County.  S.A.V.E. Teams are highly trained and equipped firefighters who go in behind police, much like a combat medic to get your loved one out and treated before they die from injuries.  Currently, we wait till the scene is cold, the battle is over before we go get those people. They could have been saved. We are already doing this in other parts of the country and I will use my professional relationships to bring it here.  I will make it happen.

The district has purchased lands for additional stations out East. How quickly to you foresee new stations being built? 

We need to build those stations as soon as possible.  The growth out east is tremendous and we need to support it there, not pull resources from other stations. That is not safe and bad management of resources.  We have the tax base to start construction now. We should have been out ahead of this.  It just takes someone like me to get on the District Commission and say “let’s go.”  Those stations can be built a lot quicker and with superior quality than the previous stations.  I have experience in this area and can work with the best local commercial construction companies to get this done, right away. 

Is the district equipped to handle all the growth occurring in the greater Lakewood Ranch area? How so?

This is a very important question.  The Fire District needs new leadership on the Commission to ensure we are forward thinking, not living in the past.  We already have great employees but with our tremendous growth we will become the largest Fire Department in the County.  Having the right leaders will ensure that we do not fail.  This is a great responsibility and I am a proven progressive leader who looks at the big picture and the big picture is exactly that, the growth in our area.  I am ready, prepared, and have plans to take us into the future, not live in the past.    

Do you believe the assessment levels should remain the same, or should they be increased or reduced? Why/not?

We need to lower all taxes and fees period, not keep them the same.  The Fire District has multiple lines of income.  It collects property taxes, non-ad valorem assessments from you, and impact fees for new homes and businesses.  Over the years with all this income, my opponent has done nothing to lower your tax rate. It has remained the highest of the four special districts on your tax bill that you pay money to, more than double! There is no excuse for this. I will manage our tax dollars better and work to lower that mileage rate.  I will also revisit the $500 a month my opponent voted himself to give himself at your expense.