Mr. Gilbert is a resident of Lantana and began his fire service career in 1984 as a Firefighter with the Fairview Fire Protection District while serving as a San Francisco Bay Area Paramedic. In 1986 he was hired with the Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District. On July 1, 1993, he joined the newly formed Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) where he was instrumental in the growth of the ACFD and established the Alameda County Fire Department First Responder Paramedic Program, ultimately promoting to the rank of Fire Chief.