Daniela Flores
Daniela Flores is a dreamer. She was born in Santiago, Chile in 1994, and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of five to pursue the “American Dream.” Daniela was raised in Vallejo and has lived there for the last twenty years.
After arriving in the U.S., Daniela had no choice but to adapt to her new country and learn a new language. She remembers crying every day in first grade because she had no one to talk to, as her twin sister was placed in a different class. After fifth grade, Daniela graduated from Admiral Farragut Elementary School and moved on to Vallejo Middle and High School, from which she graduated in 2012.
When she was fifteen, Daniela discovered that she was undocumented and could not apply for a job as her friends were doing. It was not until 2012 that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program began accepting applications. Daniela applied to obtain a work permit while continuing her education at Napa Valley College. At first, Daniela was unsure what career path she wanted to take, but she knew she wanted to help people. She decided to take an emergency first responder course and immediately fell in love with emergency medicine. She graduated from the Napa Valley College Paramedic program in February 2019, and is currently a Paramedic for Medic Ambulance.
Daniela is being honored for her dedication and commitment to Medic’s Emergency Response Team. Daniela was a part of the Ambulance Strike Teams that deployed to the Napa, Lake, and Butte County fires. She deployed for a total of fourteen days, and did many tasks to assist citizens and caregivers in need. Daniela helped to evacuate hospitals, residences, and skilled nursing facilities during her deployments, all while receiving the highest remarks from her Strike Team leaders. She was also part of the first ambulance responses back into the City of Paradise as medical responders were allowed back into the city. Daniela was recognized by U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson as a Public Service Hero in 2019.
Daniela is a leader in many ways and we are proud to have her a part of the Medic Ambulance Family.
Gordon Tsang
Hong Kong-born Gordon Tsang immigrated to America with his family when he was 16 and jumped right into his first community-oriented job: summer lifeguard and swim instructor.
But after finishing high school and attending community college, it was a family tragedy that pointed him in the direction of his EMS career. In 2009, Gordon’s dad was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, and he passed away that October. Tragically, Gordon was the one who attempted to resuscitate him with CPR. “I felt so helpless at the time,” Gordon says, “however, now I’m extremely grateful that I found direction in my career after this terrible family tragedy.”
In 2012, Gordon decided to take an EMT class, which drew him farther into the field of paramedicine. Gordon was hired at Medic Ambulance that same year, and he says, “I was blessed to have wonderful partners and family who encouraged and supported me through my journey as an EMT and my decision to start Paramedic school.” In August 2016, torn between nerves and excitement, he became a Paramedic in Solano County.
Gordon is always excited to pass on his knowledge to new EMTs and Paramedics. He is being recognized as Medic Ambulance Solano Division 2018 Paramedic of the Year for his excellent performance as an FTO/Paramedic in Solano County.
Gordon and his partner Dominic were an integral part of Medic’s response during the devastating Napa and Sonoma fires. They worked countless hours and were part of three different strike teams sent to the impacted areas. Gordon and Dominic helped evacuate 65 patients from the Santa Rosa skilled nursing facility.
Dominic Romero
Dominic Romero has worked with Medic Ambulance for almost three years, and he is being honored as Medic Ambulance Solano Division 2018 EMT of the Year.
He was also awarded Medic Ambulance’s 2018 Travis Grace “Excellence in EMS” Award and will receive a full-tuition scholarship for Paramedic school to Napa Valley College.
Most recently, Dominic and his partner Gordon were an integral part of Medic’s response during the devastating Napa and Sonoma fires. They worked countless hours and were part of three different strike teams to the impacted areas. Dominic and Gordon helped in the evacuation of 65 patients from a Santa Rosa skilled nursing facility.
Dominic has been a model employee at Medic Ambulance. He has provided excellent service to patients, and he has played an integral role in the company’s Quality Assurance Committee and Field Training Officer program.
Dominic recently became a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) leader within Medic’s new Caring for Ourselves and Others Affected by Critical Happenings and Everyday Stressors (COACHES) program, which helps employees remain mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy.
COACHES is a peer-support team staffed by employees who have received specialized training in psychological first aid, traumatology, and critical incident stress debriefing.
Cliff Henderson
Cliff is the model of a homegrown made-in-Solano County success story. Cliff was born and raised in Benicia, California, which he still calls home today. EMS caught Cliff’s interest early. He went to EMT school at Solano College, then applied to work at Medic Ambulance, where he quickly became part of the family. Cliff put his time and effort into becoming the best EMT he could be, and when it was time he knew he was ready to take on the challenge of becoming a Paramedic. Cliff not only has passed that challenge but also led the way for others. Cliff is now finishing his eighth year as a Paramedic at Medic. He is a Field Training Officer, County Preceptor, and the Chair of Medic Ambulance’s Internal Quality Improvement Committee.
Cliff is being recognized as a Star of Life for his role as one of Medic Ambulance’s Community Paramedics. Community Paramedicine is a new and innovative model in providing healthcare, and Cliff is one of only 77 Community Paramedics in the state. Cliff dedicated many hours to mandatory didactic and clinical training as part of the program, all while still performing his normal job duties as Paramedic.
Cliff always takes the time to instruct, improve and create a better environment for others. Whether it is a Paramedic student or a new employee, Cliff is always there to lend a helping hand.
Cliff’s commitment to excellence shows in everything he does, and thus he has been selected for the third year in a row as Medic Ambulance’s 2016 Paramedic of the Year. Cliff was also recognized as a 2016 California Star of Life for his performance excellence in March by the California Ambulance Association in Sacramento, California.
In Cliff’s free time he loves spending time outdoors and with his son, CJ. Great job, Cliff!
Brian Meader
Brian Meader is a native of Concord, California and attended Concord High School. After graduating, he worked as a Computer Network Technician. Tired of sitting in front of a computer all day, Brian decided to take an EMT class.
Brian was instantly drawn to the EMS field, and enrolled in Medic School at the National College of Technical Instruction. He has been with Medic Ambulance for 11 years serving as an EMT, Paramedic, Field Training Officer, Paramedic Supervisor,
QA Manager and his current role of Operations Manager. Never one to shy away from hard work, he enjoys the variety of experiences he has gained working at Medic.
Brian was honored for his outstanding service as Medic Ambulance’s Paramedic of the Year, Solano Division in 2010. For the last two years, Brain has served as Operations Manager for Medic Ambulance. In 2013, Medic Ambulance was selected as Pilot site by California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) for the Community Paramedic Pilot Project.
Today, Brian is being recognized for not only his work as one of the Community Paramedics, but also for his role as the lead site educator for Medic Ambulance Community Paramedic Pilot Program. The State of California EMS Agency as a 2015 EMS Innovator recognized Brian for his role in coordinating the local training for Paramedics in the pilot program.
Community Paramedic is a new and innovative model in providing healthcare and Brian is one of only 77 community paramedics in California. Solano County is one of only 12 sites working under a groundbreaking pilot program sponsored by the California EMS Authority and the California Healthcare Foundation.
Brian was also recognized as a 2016 California Star of Life in March by the California Ambulance Association in Sacramento, California. Great Job Brian!