Alfred W. (Butch) Britton, Jr.
Date of Birth: October 23, 1946
Date of Death: December 4, 2014

Alfred W. (Butch) Britton, Jr., was voted into membership of the Rescue Hose Company on 11 December 1962.    He started out as a volunteer firefighter and now after 49-years of service, he is still active as an administrative member. 

 Within 2-months of joining Rescue Hose, Butch enrolled in the Basic Fireman Course held at the West Annapolis Volunteer Fire Department.  This is the first of many courses and seminars that he has taken over the years.  While training at West Annapolis, he became interested in the ambulance service.   He decided to join West Annapolis in March 1963, helping them to run both fire and ambulance calls.  He was still running calls with Rescue Hose at the same time.

  While a member of West Annapolis, Butch was in the top ten in both fire and ambulance calls from January 1964 to December1965.  In January 1965, he was appointed Lieutenant.  He held this rank until December 1966.     

 On 1 April 1966, he entered the United State Air Force. While serving in the military, in July 1966, he became a member of the Pine Castle Fire Department in Orlando, Florida.  After the first year, he became a pump operator/driver until he moved back to Maryland in January 1970.  Once back in Maryland, he began volunteering again with both Rescue Hose and West Annapolis.

  In August 1970, Butch was hired by the Anne Arundel County Fire Department as a career firefighter. After training, he was assigned to Company 32.  He resigned from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department and moved back to Orlando.  He was hired by the Pine Castle Fire Department in August 1971 as a career firefighter/relief driver on the swing shift.  He was to be promoted to pump operator/driver in March 1972.  However, in February 1972, he received word his father had a heart attack and he was needed back in Maryland to run the family business.  He did this until his father was well again.  Butch still wanted to be a career firefighter and accepted a position as a career firefighter in August 1972 with the City of Annapolis Fire Department.  At the same time, he was still holding membership, and running calls, in both Rescue Hose and West Annapolis. 

In July 1981, Butch resigned from the Annapolis City Fire Department due to health issues.  In December 1981, he was cleared by all doctors involved and once again started to ride with Rescue Hose and West Annapolis.  In January 1982, he started taking additional fire service courses to advance his knowledge.  In June 1982, he became a driver/pump operator at West Annapolis.  He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1983 and moved up the ranks to Assistant Chief in 1986.  He was once again in the top ten answering fire calls.  In August 1993, while serving as Assistant Chief, he suffered a heart attack and received a defibrillator.  As a result, he could no longer fight fire so he turned his attention to the administrative business of the fire department.  He was once again cleared by the doctors 2-years later, to return to fighting fire.  With 35-years of service, he retired from West Annapolis in October 1998, as an active member.  During his years of service in West Annapolis, he also served as Training Officer, Quartermaster, Treasurer, LOSAP, Fire Recorder, and on the Board of Director’s.  Butch was still holding membership in Rescue Hose.  He became Vice President in October 1987 and held this position until 2007.  He then became Secretary and holds that position to this day.  In 1998, he joined the Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and remained a member until 2003 when he moved to the Glen Burnie area.  While at Herald Harbor, he served as the Station Lieutenant, Training Officer, Fire Recorder, and was on the Board of Directors.

  In March 2007, Butch moved to Church Hill.  He joined the Goodwill Fire Company of Centreville on 9 July 2007 as an active volunteer until November 2008 when health problems arose again.  Since January 2009, he has become very involved on the administrative side.  However, he is still taking training courses and seminars to keep up with the many changes in the fire service and emergency medical fields.  He has had his EMT certification since 1983 and recently recertified for another 3-years.

  In 2008, Butch was appointed chairman of the Goodwill Fire Company Fire Prevention Committee.  He took this position to organize and upgrade it to run smoother.   Three times a year - with two different handouts every time -material is given to approximately 1300 students each year.  This does not include the coloring books or activities books or pencils and crayons during fire prevention week.  He gets in touch with the schools to set up time for the fire engine and ambulance to come by the schools and give them the program for fire prevention week.  After seeing Centerville’s open house in 2008, he decided to take this on himself.  The Open House Safety Awareness Day now has between 25 to 30 vendors each year and has over 50 doors prizes each year to give away.  The attendance has grown to 300 to 400 people attending.   At the December breakfast, you will find him working on getting items for Santa to give to the children promoting fire prevention.  This year, he started a new program with the smoke alarms where the public calls to request them.  Then he or members of the committee will deliver them to their house. 

Butch has served as a delegate from Rescue Hose to the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association meetings since 1987.  In the mid 1980’s, Butch served on the Training and Trophies committees.  He was inducted in the Hall of Fame in September 2012.

 Butch is also active in the Delmarva, Kent-Queen Anne’s, and Eastern Shore Volunteer Firemen’s Associations.  He has served on many committees and continues to serve.

Butch has served as a delegate from Rescue Hose to the Maryland State Firemen’s Association meetings since 1987.  He became active on committees at the State Association beginning in 2007.  He has served on the Safety, Surplus, Ways and Means, Special Activities, Rural Water Supply, Fire Prevention, and Transportation committees.  He continues to serve on the Safety, Rural Water Supply, Fire Prevention, and Transportation committees.  He was inducted in the Hall of Fame in June 2012.   

Butch has been a member of the Maryland Fire Chief’s Association for 10-years.   He served on the Training and Safety Committee for 5-years.  He is currently on the Fire Prevention Education and the Hearing Impaired Smoke Alarm committees.

Butch has been a Member of the Elks Club in Annapolis for 35-years and was voted in as a life member this year.

 After almost 50-years service, Butch can no longer run calls, but he still gives up his time with stand-by hours while the company is out on a call.  He attends countless meetings and is active on the many committees he serves on.  His dedication is very much appreciated.

Butch as the President of the Eastern Shore of Maryland Volunteer Fireman’s Association 2011-2012.

Alfred William "Butch" Britton Jr. recently of Glen Burnie, passed away on December 4th, 2014. Born in Annapolis on October 23, 1946 to the late Alfred "Dutch" and Beatrice Britton. Growing up he had a passion for sports and played lacrosse, football, wrestling, and boxing. He graduated from Annapolis High School in 1964 and served in the Air Force from 1966-1969.

Butch was very active in the Fire Department for nearly 50-years. He was a current member of Rescue & Hose Co #38, West Annapolis VFD, both in Annapolis; as well as Goodwill VFD in Centreville, where he was served on several committees, including Fire Prevention. He was also Past President for the Eastern Shore of MD Volunteer Fireman's Association and a Life Member with the Elks.

Butch was a loving father and grandfather. He is survived by his daughter, Christina Belser of Lothian; his two granddaughters, Annalyn and Brilyn, as well as his four sisters, Barbara Baxter, Francis Furr, Denna Britton, and Lauri Donovan.