Fire Chief Keith Johnson To Retire From Loudoun County Role

ASHBURN, VA — After 10 years at Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue, Chief Keith Johnson announced plans to retire.

"As my time here in Loudoun comes to a close, I urge my staff to continue moving forward and striving for excellence," said Johnson in a statement. "Continue educating the community about critical fire and life safety initiatives. Continue your training, every day, for the known and unknown emergencies that await you. Lastly, and most importantly, always take care of yourselves and take care of each other."

Johnson will retire in April 2025. A native of Long Island, New York, Johnson first began his firefighting career with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue in 1983. After serving positions like deputy chief of training, deputy chief of the special operations division and deputy chief of the support services division, Johnson retired from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. At the same time in December 2014, he accepted an assistant chief of operations position at Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. He became chief in May 2018.

The fire department credits Johnson with overseeing the introduction of a collective bargaining agreement with IAFF Local 3756, expanding the career firefighting workforce from 587 employees in fiscal year 2015 to a proposed 867 employees in fiscal year 2026, transitioning over 700 career firefighters from three working schedules to a consistent 24-hour shift and creating the 24-hour Operational Shift Commander program. On employee wellness, Johnson's fire and rescue department implemented mandatory physicals for volunteer members, formed a behavioral health section with two practitioners and a peer support program, and oversaw the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination program.

Johnson also created a Uniformed Fire Officer program within the Loudoun Emergency Communications Center, has overseen plans for six new fire and rescue facilities and 10 future projects like the new Leesburg South Station #28 and the Fire and Rescue Training Academy expansion, developed the fire and rescue department's first Operational Service Plan in 2019 and started the Fact*r blood delivery program for entrapped trauma patients. Recently, the fire department released its critical incident report on the February 2024 Sterling house explosion that killed Firefighter Trevor Brown, detailing areas of improvement for the emergency response. Johnson has also advocated for sprinkler systems in more residential homes, which the fire department will continue to push for.

Johnson plans to continue serving as chair of the governor-appointed Virginia Fire Services Board and a board member of the Virginia’s Board of Housing and Community Development. He is a past president of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association. He was designated as a chief fire officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, is certified as a fire official in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was certified as a fire inspector and fire investigator with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.