2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 359
Commending Keith H. Johnson.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 13, 2025
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 17, 2025
WHEREAS, Keith H. Johnson, a distinguished and beloved firefighter and first responder who has served his community for more than 40 years, retired as chief of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System; and
WHEREAS, a fourth-generation firefighter, Keith Johnson embarked upon his career in fire service in 1982 as a volunteer with the North Merrick Volunteer Fire Department in Long Island, New York; and
WHEREAS, Keith Johnson segued to an operational career in firefighting when he joined the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and graduated from its training academy in 1983; and
WHEREAS, through diligence and hard work, Keith Johnson rose through the ranks at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and was promoted to deputy chief in 2009, ultimately assuming responsibility for leading three divisions in the areas of training, special operations, and support services; and
WHEREAS, Keith Johnson previously served as a member and deputy chief of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team and was formerly the Fairfax County task force leader of the National Medical Response Team; and
WHEREAS, in December 2014, Keith Johnson retired from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department to accept the position of assistant chief of operations with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System; and
WHEREAS, four years later, Keith Johnson was elevated to chief of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System with the responsibility of overseeing nearly 500 employees and more than 1,500 volunteers who serve more than 400,000 residents in Loudoun County; and
WHEREAS, Keith Johnson holds an associate degree in fire science administration from the Northern Virginia Community College, a bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in fire science from the University of Maryland University College, and a master's degree in security studies, homeland security, and defense from the Naval Postgraduate School; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his achievements as a firefighter and fire chief, Keith Johnson was designated as a Chief Fire Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence and certified as a fire official in the Commonwealth and as a fire inspector and fire investigator by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs; and
WHEREAS, Keith Johnson has provided invaluable expertise to the Commonwealth in his capacity as chair of the Virginia Fire Services Board, member of the Board of Housing and Community Development, and past president of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association; and
WHEREAS, with an unwavering commitment to public safety and the well-being of others, Keith Johnson has epitomized the virtues of the firefighting and rescue profession, earning the esteem and admiration of all Virginians; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Keith H. Johnson on the occasion of his retirement from his position as chief of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Keith H. Johnson as an expression of the General Assembly's high regard for his legacy of service and best wishes for his future endeavors.