St. Paul Fire Chief Named Fire Officer Of The Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – St. Paul Fire Chief Tim Butler was named the Fire Officer of the Year last Friday, receiving the award at the annual Minnesota State Fire Chief's Association Fall Conference in St. Cloud.

Butler was honored with the award for his commitment to programs to increase safety and the improvement of staffing, equipment and training. Officials with the St. Paul Fire Department say Butler was instrumental in creating "Project Save Haven," a free program that sends firefighters to St. Paul homes to ensure their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly as well as create a family escape plan.

He also helped create the EMS Academy, a tuition-free emergency medical technician program designed for low-income, minority and female residents in St. Paul.

"When you combine a group of the finest firefighters, a supportive city council and mayor and fantastic community partners, it makes being fire chief the best job in the city," said Butler. "This award is a direct reflection of these people and these groups, as none of the work coming out of the Saint Paul Fire Department could happen without them."

The Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association consists of more than 2,000 fire chief officers from as many as 500 departments.