What does public safety look like when it reflects the community it serves? In this episode of Dreaming Big, Working Hard Assemblymember David Alvarez sits down with Ulizes Sanchez, a firefighter at San Diego’s Station 12 and Vice President of Bomberos de San Diego, to explore that question.

Ulizes shares how growing up in Barrio Logan shaped his dream of becoming a firefighter — from witnessing a factory blaze as a kid to translating for a Spanish-speaking accident victim when no first responders could understand him. That early realization of the gaps in public service sparked a career, and a calling.

Through Bomberos de San Diego, Ulizes and his colleagues are bridging those same gaps — offering scholarships to local students, holiday meal giveaways, and free CPR and emergency training in underserved neighborhoods. It’s not just about firefighting, he says. It’s about representation, mentorship, and building trust.

In his words, being in public service is “not something I can take credit for,” because the work was modeled for him by others. Now, he's paying it forward — not only saving lives but showing young people that they belong in these uniforms too.

Whether you’re in uniform or not, this episode reminds us that everyone has a role in making their community stronger.

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