Patrick Isidoro Butler
Patrick Isidoro Butler served as the Assistant Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department and in 2021 retired after 32 years of service. He was the regional platoon commander for Operations Valley Bureau; overseeing and coordinating all fire department field operations that encompass the greater San Fernando Valley, West Los Angeles, Hollywood and Northeast L.A. Accountable to his command are 7 Battalion Chiefs and all subordinate personnel on duty at 54 neighborhood fire stations, serving a population of 2.3 million residents.
Over his three decades on the LAFD, he held several key positions in his 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 as well as strategic planning and policy analysis; Commander of the Arson Counter Terrorism Unit, Commander and Captain of Fireboat No.2 in the Port of Los Angeles, Commander of Air Operations, Section Commander in the LAFD Homeland Security Division, and a field Commander in all three Divisions of the Department.
His work in homeland security and public safety extended 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 from the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy, a master’s degree in Security Studies and Homeland Defense from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, a bachelor’s degree in Management and a graduate of the West Point Leadership Program. He is a Harvard Fellow, and studied as a Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is also a graduate of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Programs.
Patrick is active in several community and academic organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, The alumni board of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, 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. He and his wife Jeanie also co-chair the advisory board of the Westchester Family YMCA.
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. He and his family live in Los Angeles and enjoy community activities. Patrick is an avid triathlete and trains with the LA Fire Tri Club.