Russ was raised in the Ferguson, MO, located in North St. Louis. In 1977, he began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter in Bolivar, MO. In 1982 he was appointed Chief of the Bolivar Fire Department. Chief Mason served as Assistant Chief for the City of Rolla Fire Department from 1985-1987. He then moved to St. Charles County after accepting a position as an Investigator for the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.

Chief Mason transferred to the Division's Training Unit where he developed the first Firefighter I and II, Instructor and Inspector certification programs for the State of Missouri. In 1991, Chief Mason was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief and Chief Investigator in Charge of Criminal Investigation Unit for the Missouri Division of Fire Safety. Chief Mason joined the St. Peters Fire Protection Service as an Assistant Chief in 1995, and was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in 1998 with the consolidation of the St. Peters and St. Charles Fire Protection Districts. He was appointed Fire Chief of Central County Fire and Rescue in Feb. 2003.

Chief Mason serves on two committees for the National Fire Protection Association, "Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator" and "Standard for Fire Service Professional Qualifications Accreditation and Certification Systems". In addition, he is President of the Professional Fire and Fraud Investigators Association of Missouri.

Chief Mason and his wife Jan live in St. Peters and have four children.