Richard Merrell is a recently retired fire captain and the former uniformed aide to the assistant fire chief in Fairfax County, VA. After moving from the state of Washington in the early 2000s, the 31-year veteran was responsible for blanketing the county with EVP as its population growth exploded. He is also married to Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, who was appointed by President Biden as the U.S. fire administrator on Oct. 25, 2021.