Joe Kerr, a second generation firefighter, was born in New York and grew up in Orange County. Kerr graduated from the OC/California Division of Forestry and Fire academy in 1979 and was amongst the first firefighters hired in the newly formed OC fire department in 1980, affectionately known as the “dirty dozen”, where he was promoted to captain in 1985.

Kerr has an extensive firefighting background, including fire academy coordinator and instructor, public education specialist, fire information officer, wild land fire defense planner, and strategic planner. He received the OCFA firefighters of the year award and the courage under fire award for saving an unconscious man in a burning home.

Kerr has served as southern director for the California State Firefighters Association, vice president of the California Professional Firefighters and as an IAFF district field representative. Kerr is a 2005 graduate of the Harvard trade union program and serves as the charter president of the OC Firefighters.

Kerr was elected president during the turbulence of the nation’s longest municipal bankruptcy in 1995. Under Kerr’s leadership since the OC bankruptcy, the OC Firefighters have distinguished themselves as one of the preeminent firefighting unions in the country.

Like the aviation, auto and steel industries that recently went through transformational changes, the fire service is at a tipping point. Kerr said the OC Firefighters have been preparing for this change for some time and expects to be on the right side of the national debate.

“Our goal is to protect our OC Firefighters today, to preserve the fire service tomorrow and ensure that our citizens continue to receive the local and national protection they have come to expect from their fire responders,” Kerr said.