John Seton Butler has served as the Fire Chief for Fairfax County, Virginia, since September 2018, bringing experience and a distinguished career in fire and emergency services to the role. Prior to his tenure in Fairfax County, Chief Butler made history in Howard County, Maryland, where he served as Fire Chief and holds the distinction of being the first and only individual to have risen through every rank within that fire department.
An active paramedic, Chief Butler is deeply committed to emergency medical services. His academic achievements include a bachelor’s degree from the University of Baltimore and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. He has earned executive education certificates from Johns Hopkins Public Safety Leadership Program, Harvard University, the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program, and the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI).
