General President Edward A. Kelly
Kelly is the 10th General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters
About the General President
Edward A. Kelly is a third-generation fire fighter and the 10th General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. He joined the Boston Fire Department in 1997 and knows firsthand what the job demands of those who do it.
Since his election at the IAFF’s 55th Convention in March 2021, Kelly has focused the IAFF on delivering for members and their families. Under his leadership, the union has strengthened retirement security for public workers, secured the expansion of federal line-of-duty death benefits, and advanced efforts to combat occupational cancer – the greatest threat facing fire fighters.
The grandson, son, and brother of fire fighters, Kelly is assigned to Boston’s Ladder Company 17. He has been involved in several major responses, including the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire, the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and the Boston Marathon bombing.
Kelly rapidly climbed the ranks of organized labor and served as president of Boston, MA Local 718 before becoming president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts in 2011. He held that role until his election as IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer in 2016.
As General Secretary-Treasurer, Kelly strengthened the union’s financial footing, implementing changes that saved the IAFF approximately $2 million while improving transparency and accountability. He also modernized the operations of the General Secretary-Treasurer’s office and made its full historical record accessible to members.
As General President, Kelly has led the IAFF’s fight for key benefits and protections for fire fighters and their families, including:
- Passage of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, expanding federal death benefits to cover job-related cancers
- Passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, restoring billions in retirement benefits to fire fighters and other public workers
- Enactment of tougher sentencing in Canada for assaults on fire fighters and paramedics
- Reducing fire fighters’ exposure to toxic carcinogens by driving changes to NFPA standards
From health and safety to staffing to training, he has prioritized the support and programs rank-and-file members need to make a dangerous job safer. Fire fighters and emergency medical workers are taking note. IAFF membership has grown by over 40,000 since Kelly became General President.
A proud military veteran, Kelly served as a fire fighter in the U.S. Air Force before joining the Boston Fire Department.
Kelly is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors for Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes, and a trustee of the Boston Fire Department Charitable Association.