Houston Fire Department
Houston Fire Department Mourns The Passing of Dr. David Persse
Longtime EMS Physician Director and Public Health Leader Served Houston for More Than 30 Years
HOUSTON – Sept. 28, 2026 – The Houston Fire Department is mourning the death of Dr. David Persse, the department's longtime EMS Physician Director and one of the most influential figures in the development of Houston's emergency medical services system. Dr. Persse died Monday, Sept. 28, surrounded by his family after suffering a severe spinal injury while swimming off Hermosa Beach, California, on Saturday. He was pulled from the water in cardiac arrest and resuscitated by bystanders and Los Angeles County first responders before being hospitalized. His injuries ultimately proved too severe to recover from.
“Dr. David Persse was a dedicated public servant who spent more than 30 years protecting the health and safety of Houstonians,” Mayor John Whitmire said. “His knowledge and experience helped guide my administration through emergencies and some of our city's most challenging public health issues. I am grateful for his service to Houston and for the lasting legacy he leaves behind.”
Dr. Persse retired earlier this year after more than 30 years of service to the City of Houston, including 29 years as Houston’s EMS Physician Director, known within HFD as the Medical Director (MD-1). In addition to leading the medical direction of HFD’s EMS system, he served as Houston’s Public Health Authority and Chief Medical Officer, becoming one of the City’s most recognizable and trusted medical leaders.
“Dr. Persse was a pioneer whose impact on the Houston Fire Department cannot be overstated,” Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said. “For more than 30 years, he helped shape the way our firefighters and paramedics care for people on the worst days of their lives. He challenged us to be better, pushed EMS forward and never lost sight of the people behind the medicine. But to generations of HFD members, he was also a teacher, a mentor and a trusted friend. His legacy isn't just found in the programs he helped build, but in the thousands of HFD members he taught and the countless patients who received better care because of his life's work. Houston is safer because Dr. Persse was here, and his influence will be felt in this department for generations to come. We will miss him tremendously.”
Dr. Persse's career in emergency medicine began long before he became a physician. He spent 10 years as a field paramedic and paramedic instructor before attending Georgetown University School of Medicine. Following his medical training and EMS fellowship, he served as an Assistant Medical Director for Houston EMS before working in Los Angeles County. He returned to Houston in 1996 to lead the City's EMS system.
During his tenure, Dr. Persse helped advance programs that changed the delivery of prehospital emergency medicine in Houston. His legacy includes his work on Houston's Mobile Stroke Unit program, which brought advanced stroke diagnosis and treatment directly to patients in the field, and the Emergency Tele-Health and Navigation, or ETHAN, program, which uses telemedicine to connect certain 911 patients with physicians and appropriate medical care. Dr. Persse was also a longtime tactical physician with the Houston Police Department SWAT team.
His influence extended to generations of emergency medical professionals. Dr. Persse trained and mentored EMS physicians and thousands of EMS providers throughout his career and authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles. He also held academic appointments in Houston and received numerous national honors recognizing his contributions to emergency medical services.
Beyond HFD, Dr. Persse helped guide Houston through some of the most significant public health emergencies and disasters of the past three decades. City Council appointed him Houston's Public Health Authority in 2004, and he later served as the City's Chief Medical Officer. His leadership spanned major hurricanes, infectious disease outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Persse is survived by his wife, Beverly; daughters, Courtney and Carrie; and his extended family. HFD joins his family, friends, colleagues and the EMS and medical communities in mourning his loss.
Information regarding memorial services will be shared when it becomes available.