# San Joaquin’s Ybarra named South San Joaquin County Firefighter of the Year

/ Published March 27, 2020
TRACY, Calif., 
Firefighter Capt. Gilbert Ybarra from Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management San Joaquin, California received the top honor at a community recognition dinner Feb. 29.

Ybarra was the nominee for the 2019 Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year recognition for the South San Joaquin County District during a Law and Order Recognition Dinner hosted by the Tracy American Le¬gion Post 172 in which Ybarra was selected as this year’s winner in the fire department category enabling him to compete for Regional Firefighter of the Year honors.

Ybarra is an Air Force veteran who has served with the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency services for the past 15 years. He has served with the DLA since 2012.

                Capt. Gilbert Ybarra, firefighter at Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management San Joaquin, California, was selected as the 2019 Firefighter of the Year for the South San Joaquin County District during a Law and Order Recognition Dinner hosted by the Tracy American Legion Post 172 Feb. 29.                            San Joaquin’s Ybarra named South San Joaquin County Firefighter of the Year                            Capt. Gilbert Ybarra, firefighter at Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management San Joaquin, California, was selected as the 2019 Firefighter of the Year for the South San Joaquin County District during a Law and Order Recognition Dinner hosted by the Tracy American Legion Post 172 Feb. 29.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Annette SilvaVIRIN: 200325-D-WD427-0002

“Capt. Ybarra is being recognized this year for his stellar performance throughout the 2019 year,” said Assistant Fire Chief John Stephens. “Capt. Ybarra continues to go above and beyond in his current position and has proven that his leadership abilities, resourcefulness and attention to detail is among the highest caliber.”

Ybarra is a dedicated first responder. A highlight of his career was completing the DLA Enterprise Leader Development pilot program. This program is slated for a two year completion and he went above and beyond and finished in six months.

He played an integral part in the implementation for the fire department’s first live fire training facility. Ybarra provided critical input into the planning and development of the project. Further, he serves as the Technical Rescue Program manager. In this role, he worked with the installation’s emergency manager on active shooter plans, standard operating procedure development and training scenarios.

Lastly, his strong leadership skill set led him to a temporary promotion to assistant chief of operations to help support the agency’s mission.

Ybarra not only gives his all on the job but contributes to the community during his off time. He serves as an instructor for National Registry emergency medical technicians at the Modesto Regional Fire Training Center. He has volunteered for the past five years as head coach for the Modesto Youth Soccer Association. In 2019, he was awarded Coach of the Year.

He is an active member of the Crossroads Elementary Parent Teacher Association and routinely volunteers in veterans’ programs.

Upon receiving firefighter of the year honors, Ybarra will now compete for Regional Firefighter of the Year.