Redondo Beach Fire Department - Update
Feb 22, 2023 12:25 PM
Patrick Isidoro Butler Fire Chief, Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Fire Department - Update

Patrick Butler is the Fire Chief and Harbor Master of the Redondo Beach Fire Department. Prior to his appointment in Redondo Beach, he served 31 years as an Assistant Chief with the Los Angeles Fire Department having oversight of 60 Fire Stations and protecting 2.3 million residents with an operating budget of $560M. During his distinguished career on the LAFD he held several key positions in the department and promoted through the ranks. His department experience included Chief of Special Operations, where he directed the day-to-day management of the department’s specialized resources, including the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team ~ California Task Force 1. He served as the Chief of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis; Commander of the Arson Counter Terrorism Unit, Internal Affairs Investigator, Commander of Fireboat No.2 in the Port of Los Angeles, Commander of Air Operations, and a Section Commander in the LAFD Homeland Security Division. Chief Butler also has extensive labor management experience and served as union president and vice president negotiating contracts and employee representation.  

During his career, he responded to thousands of emergencies, including the 1992 Civil Disturbance, 1993 Malibu Wildfires, 1994 Northridge Earthquake and some of California’s largest wildfires. He served as the incident commander on several large complex wildfires and holds multiple federal ICS qualifications. Chief Butler is considered one of the most experienced operational leaders in the region.  

His work in homeland security and public safety extends beyond the traditional boundaries. He served for over 22 years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reserves and retired as a detective.   

Chief Butler holds a doctorate degree in Policy, Planning and Development from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in Security Studies and Homeland Defense from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, a bachelor’s degree in Management and graduate of the Army West Point Leadership Program. He is a Harvard Fellow, and studied as a Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Chief Butler is a general aviation pilot holding several ratings and a graduate of the USC Viterbi School of Aviation Safety & Security. 

 

Patrick is active in several academic and community organizations and serves on the board of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, the USC Sol Price Alumni Board, the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center as well as Vision to Learn, a non-profit that provides free eye exams and glasses to elementary school students in low-income communities across the country. He serves on the board of Los Bomberos de Los Angeles, the Latino Firefighters Association. He is most well known for his work in the community and preparing communities for wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural and manmade disasters.  

 

Born the son of a Mexican immigrant, Patrick speaks fluent Spanish and spent much of his youth growing up in his mother’s hometown of Veracruz, Mexico. Patrick enjoys mountain biking and ocean sports, such as surfing, swimming and sailing. He and his family live in Los Angeles and enjoy community activities.