City of Porterville

November 2013 Employee of the Month

Sabrina Barrios

Porterville Fire Department

Firefighter Sabrina Barrios is the daughter of Shelly Porter and Tony Barrios. She spent her early years in Porterville and Visalia, together with five sisters and two brothers.

Sabrina’s interest in firefighting began at an early age when she became a volunteer Explorer for Tulare County Fire Department at age 15. Within a year, she was promoted to Explorer Chief and was active in this capacity until age 18. After graduating from Golden West High School in 2005, she was hired by Cal Fire where she worked for three years before being hired by the Porterville Fire Department in 2007.

Firefighter Barrios recently obtained her Fire Officer certification as well as Driver Operator endorsement to drive fire equipment. She is responsible for maintenance and repairs of the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus, and is a Porterville Fire Department CPR instructor.

In July of 2013, Firefighter Barrios responded to an emergency medical incident for a person electrocuted and in full cardiac arrest. She immediately initiated CPR and defibrillation, administering multiple shocks to the patient, restoring both a heartbeat and normal breathing within minutes of her arrival on scene.

In October, Firefighter Barrios volunteered to be a CPR instructor for the Fire Department’s first public CPR classes and helped teach 49 members of the community life-saving CPR skills.             

When not working at the fire department, Sabrina enjoys fishing and spending time with her boyfriend, Eric, his two daughters, Ellie and Georgia, and her two shepherds Allie and Kilo.