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Deputy Chief Brian Edmonston will become an assistant chief with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on Dec. 13, 2025. His assignment will be determined when the promotion takes effect.
The Fairfax County native has more than two decades of experience with the department. He created and implemented its Emergency Vehicle Preemption Program, designed to improve emergency response efficiency and roadway safety across the county.
As a battalion chief and later executive officer in the Office of the Fire Chief, Edmonston helped develop the department’s 2023 Strategic Plan. He also worked on expanding the Health and Wellness Division, improving behavioral health services and opening the Joint Public Safety Wellness Center.
Edmonston played a role in securing an Assistance to Firefighters Grant that provided proactive ultrasound screenings for cancer and cardiovascular disease to more than 1,300 personnel.
After his promotion to deputy chief in 2023, he became chief training officer and assumed leadership of the Fire and Rescue Training Academy. During his tenure, the academy has modernized its curriculum, decentralized critical training programs, strengthened instructor development and increased certification success rates.
Edmonston holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a Master of Health Sciences from George Washington University. He also earned a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in emergency management from George Mason University.
His professional credentials include Certified Public Manager, Nationally Registered Paramedic, Chief Fire Officer and Chief EMS Officer. He also serves as a principal member of the NFPA 1250 Technical Committee.
Within the department, Edmonston is an elected trustee of the Uniformed Retirement System, a past president of the Fire Officer’s Association and chair of the Awards Committee. He also serves as a relief safety officer and Peer Support Team member and previously belonged to the department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, VA-TF1/USA-01.